Always and Forever
by Heavenli24
Summary: Sequel to I'll Be There. Liz & Max are now engaged to be married & the wedding is planned for after Graduation. But before they can get married & begin their life together, Liz has one final year at Harvard, while Max is studying in New Mexico.
1. Prologue

**Title**: Always and Forever

**Author**: Heavenli24

**Pairings/Couples/Category**:[/b] M/L

**Rating**: MATURE

**Disclaimer**: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

**Summary**: This is the third in the series. Liz and Max are now engaged to be married and the wedding is being planned for the summer after Graduation. But before they can get married and begin their life together, Liz has to spent one final year at Harvard, while Max is studying at home in New Mexico. You may want to read You Can Always Count On Me and I'll Be There first, although you can probably still understand the story if you haven't read them.

**Author's** **Note**: This installment will be a little different in structure from the other two stories in that it will show both Liz and Max's POV's (usually one POV per part). The story begins with the wedding (present day), but will chiefly cover their senior year of college up to the wedding. However, these parts will be interspersed with 'Interludes' of sorts showing present day glimpses of Max and Liz's married life.

* * *

**Prologue**

_**Liz**_

_**Present day – July 2006**_

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Max's lips begin to descend towards mine and as I tilt my head up to meet him halfway, I realise something with amazing clarity.

This is absolutely, without a doubt, the best day of my life. I've never been happier than in this exact moment.

I've just married the love of my life, a man I've waited so long to be with, and now, finally, all my dreams are coming true.

"I love you," Max whispers a second before his soft lips meet mine. The taste of his kiss and the warmth of his hand, which has now lifted up to cup my cheek, send shivers down my spine and I feel a tingling sensation spreading along my arms to my fingers and all the way down to the tips of my toes.

God, I could just kiss him like this forever.

Unfortunately, the sound of Michael clearing his throat behind Max reminds us that we are in fact in a church and are currently being watched by our families, more than one hundred guests and the vicar. Not forgetting of course, the bridal party, consisting of Michael and Maria, and Alex and Isabel, just behind us.

Reluctantly, we break apart, my lips longing for his again almost immediately.

"I love you, too," I whisper back, before pulling away. I can feel the sting of joyous tears forming in the corner of my eyes and I blink quickly to force them away. I can't cry now, everyone's watching and I don't want to end up with panda eyes for the wedding photos.

Max takes my hand and grins at me quickly before we turn to face the congregation to walk back up the aisle together as husband and wife. We walk past our friends and family, who are all clapping and cheering for us. My gaze first falls on Becca and Jack and then on Tim and Kelly who are sitting just behind them. They all have happy grins on their faces and I swear I see tears in Becca's eyes. On Max's side, I can see his roommates John, Mark and Pete, along with Alexandra, all clapping enthusiastically (well, the guys are, anyway).

And I can't keep the ecstatic smile off my face.

Max Evans is my husband.

* * *

The reception is a beautiful affair. The decorators that Diane Evans found have done a wonderful job and Mario's, Roswell's finest catering company, has provided the most gorgeous food I have ever tasted.

All through the evening, I feel like I'm walking on air.

Michael and Maria's best man and maid of honour speeches are brilliant and so heartfelt that I actually burst into tears, despite the fact that I swore I wouldn't.

I've lost count of the number of songs that Max and I have danced to tonight, the only thing my brain can register right now is the fact that Max's warm, strong arms are wrapped around me, holding my body close. His left hand is sending electrifying tingles up and down my spine as he lovingly caresses my back, his fingers gently skimming over the silky satin of my wedding dress.

About four songs ago, I decided to throw tradition and formality out of the window and I slide my hands up over Max's chest and broad shoulders to enfold them around his neck, resting my head against his shoulder.

So here we are swaying dreamily to the music (well _I _am anyway. I'm not sure Max would refer to it as dreamy). My eyes drift closed and I get lost in the music; it's one of my favourite songs, Sheryl Crow's I Shall Believe. When I was a kid, I would listen to it for hours on end, dreaming about falling in love and marrying the most wonderful man.

And now I've found him.

* * *

It's my wedding night, the only one I will ever have, and it's just perfect.

Obviously, it is not our first time making love to each other, but tonight isthe most wonderful experience I've ever had – it is the first time we've made love as husband and wife.

Max has been, is being, so loving and attentive with me that he's making me light-headed and dizzy. My insides are all warm and fuzzy and all I can manage are small, breathy moans and whispers of 'I love you' over and over again.

He took his time undressing me earlier, peeling off my dress, inch by agonising inch and he wouldn't let me undress him or even touch him until he'd finished. When he'd divested me of my white silk dress, he spent long minutes touching and admiring and caressing me, and simply driving me wild with desire. Then finally, when I couldn't stand it any longer, he allowed me to free him of his gorgeous black tuxedo and have my wicked way with him.

And then I was the one taking my time. I placed sweet, tender kisses first on his lips, then lower to his jaw, his neck and his solid chest. I caressed and nibbled every inch of bare skin I could, until he was whimpering and pleading for release.

When we finally came together for the first time tonight, it was just…there are no words to describe it. I've never felt like that before in my entire life. I was surrounded by so much love, and tenderness and passion that I couldn't think straight.

Now, right at this moment, Max is planting open-mouthed kisses all over my body. He started at my toes and has made his way slowly and intently up over my legs, my hips, my stomach, my chest and now my neck.

I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, leaning down to capture his lips with mine once again as I prepare myself for yet another intense, passionate round of wedding-night lovemaking.

* * *

I am so happy, so content with my life right now.

I'm standing alone on the balcony of the honeymoon suite, admiring the gorgeous view of the ocean and the bright blue, cloudless sky. My husband of fourteen days is, at this moment, frantically checking through our luggage, trying to figure out if we've forgotten anything.

I smile at the thought. I've always known that Max is totally anal about organisation and packing, but somehow it's as if I'm noticing it even more now. It usually annoys me how particular he is; but I must really still be in the honeymoon phase because right now, I'm actually finding it sexy.

I let out a long, contented sigh as I feel his strong arms come around me from behind.

"Hey," he whispers so as not to disturb the peaceful calm that has settled over the balcony.

"Hey."

He rests his chin on my shoulder and I tilt my head slightly to accommodate him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he says.

I smile. I can't help it. "Yeah, it is," I agree. "Are we all packed and ready?" I ask.

I feel him grin against my neck; he knows I've noticed his packing obsession. "Yeah, just about," he tells me. But then the grin disappears. "Liz, let's not go back. Let's just stay here together forever."

I sigh again. "I'd love to, Max. I'd love to spend all my time here with you in this hotel room, but we have lives to get back to, remember?" I remind him. "And just think, Max, we're going home; to _our_ home. We have our whole lives ahead of us and we'll be spending them together."

Before I can comprehend what's happening, he's spinning me around and my face comes into contact with his hard chest.

"Wha –?" I try to question but he cuts me off.

"Don't," he tells me, just before he captures my lips in a sweet kiss full of promise and love.

It turns passionate rather quickly and I open my mouth slightly to allow his tongue to caress mine. Somewhere in the back of my mind, it registers that we can't get carried away here. We have a plane to catch, but Max's kisses are making me weak in the knees and I can't concentrate. Luckily, the shrill ring of the hotel room phone interrupts us a few minutes later. It's the front desk; our car is downstairs and waiting to take us to the airport.

"Shit!" I exclaim and grab our bags from the bed. I look back at Max who is leaning against the wall, watching me. "Max, come on! We have to go," I tell him impatiently. But he just continues to stare at me.

"What?" I question self-consciously.

He just smiles, his eyes warm and inviting. "What you said just now, about going back to _our_ home, I guess it just hit me, you know. You're my wife and I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I'll get to wake up next to you every morning and go to bed with you every night," he sounds awed and my eyes begin to well up. "I've wanted this for so long, Liz and now it's really happening. I just can't believe it."

I drop the bags and walk over to him. Taking his hands in mine, I tell him, "Believe it, Max. I'm not going anywhere; I'm yours. Forever."

He smiles at me, "And I'm _yours_, Liz. Forever."

Hand-in-hand, we pick up our luggage once again and make our way out of the hotel, determined to be as happy as we possibly can, for as long as we possibly can.

_TBC…_


	2. Chapter 1

**Part One**

_**Liz** _

_**Tuesday September 20****th**** 2005**_

You know, I really hope that I'll be able to make it through this coming year. I've only been back at college for two days, and I'm already missing Max more than I'd care to admit. He's already been back at UNM for three weeks, because his semester began a few weeks earlier than mine did. At first, we'd decided that I would go and stay with him in his apartment in Albuquerque until I had to leave for Massachusetts. But so many things got in the way of our plans that I had to let him go up there alone. First off, my father decided to inform me that one of his full-time waitresses at the Crashdown had just given in her notice and that he was relying on me to help him and Mom out until I went back to school. As much as I wanted to refuse, in the end I just couldn't bring myself to let him down. Secondly, Max received a letter from his old soccer coach at UNM, letting him know that even though he hadn't been on the team last semester, he was perfectly happy to accept him back on the team. Enclosed in with the letter was a timetable for the team's training practices, which I have to say, looked very gruelling to me.

In the end, we had to resign ourselves to the fact that me spending two and a half weeks in Albuquerque with Max just wasn't going to happen. Therefore, three weeks ago, I saw him off with a tearful goodbye and a promise that next time we were able to see each other; I'd definitely make it worth the wait. So, here's where the good part comes in…I managed to arrange it so that I could surprise Max by coming up to Albuquerque a day before my flight out to Boston and spend some time with him before I left. I convinced my dad that I would be fine getting to the airport and leaving New Mexico without him, so he and my mom dropped me, along with my luggage outside Max's apartment and said their goodbyes in the car.

And let me just say that it was definitely a good thing they didn't insist on staying overnight nearby because every time I think about that last night with Max, I blush right down to my toes…

* * *

_**Saturday September 17****th**** 2005**_

_I suck in a breath and exhale it slowly as I try to contain my excitement. I stand on Max's doorstep, surrounded by bags with my hand poised to knock. Oh God, I hope he's in – maybe I should have called ahead to let him know that I was coming? No, that would have just spoiled the surprise._

_I bite my lip in anticipation when I hear someone moving towards the door and a grin spreads across my face. The door swings open to reveal…Max's roommate John…My face falls in disappointment._

"_Liz?" he questions in confusion. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Oh…um…hey, John," I mutter quickly. "Is Max in?"_

"_Um, yeah he is," he says slowly, looking bewildered. "Aren't you supposed to be in Boston?"_

_I glance down to my bags, "Oh, I don't leave until tomorrow, so I thought I'd come up and surprise Max before I left."_

"_Oh, okay," he says in understanding, his expression softening. "Well, come on in, then," he invites. "You can leave your stuff over here. Max is in his room."_

"_Thanks, John," I smile as I drop my bags in the corner of the living room and begin making my way down the hall towards Max._

"_Oh, by the way," calls John as I leave the room. I turn back to face him. "I hear congratulations are in order."_

"_Thanks," I grin happily. He nods in return and I continue on down the hallway until I reach Max's room._

_I knock on the door and open it when I hear his smooth voice telling me to come in. I step into the room and close the door behind me, to find that he is sitting at his desk, his nose in a textbook._

"_Yeah?" he asks distractedly, not turning round._

"_I thought you might like some company," I offer from the doorway and try not to giggle when he straightens in his chair and very slowly turns to face me._

"_Liz?" he wonders incredulously. _

"_Hi," I grin and give him a little wave. "Surprise."_

"_What are you doing here?" he asks, as he stands up and walks towards me._

"_Well, I couldn't go all the way back to school without seeing you one last time," I tell him softly, my gaze drifting to his lips as he comes to a stop in front of me. In a flash, his mouth is devouring mine, his hands placed either side of my head, effectively pinning my body against the door. I sink my fingers into his hair and rise up on tiptoes to deepen the kiss. God, I love him so much; this man is my soulmate._

"_Liz," he murmurs against my lips, "Liz…Liz…I've missed you."_

"_Mmm, me too," I manage between kisses. I arch my back and let out a moan of approval as our lower bodies come into contact. Max's breath hitches in his throat and I feel him harden against me. Purely on instinct, I jump up and wrap my legs around his waist, eliciting another intake of breath from him._

_When oxygen finally becomes an issue, we break apart and I cling to Max as he buries his head in my shoulder, his hands dropping to support my thighs. Closing my eyes briefly, I let out a giggle at our urgency. We haven't even said hello properly yet!_

"_What's so funny?" Max raises his head to look at me._

"_Nothing," I smile. "Just…I mean, look at us – and I've only just got here!"_

_He drops his eyes to where he's holding my legs around him and lets out a chuckle, "See, that's the thing, Lizzie; I just can't control myself around you."_

"_So I see," I smirk playfully._

"_So, why are you here?" he asks then._

"_I wanted to spend some time with you before I left, so I persuaded my parents to drive up today and drop me off."_

"_So I've got you for the whole night?" he asks hopefully._

"_Yep," I grin, "I'm all yours."_

"_Great," he says, leaning in for another kiss._

"_Wait a sec," I stop him just as our lips touch. "Before we 'get down to business' –" he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at my comment. " – I need food; I'm starving."_

"_Okay," he sighs, letting go of my legs so that I can stand. "Let's go get something to eat."_

_He sounds so dejected that I can't help teasing him. _

"_Don't worry, I intend to make it worth your while later," I tell him with a wink._

_He straightens up, "Well, let's get going then; we don't want to waste any time."_

_I roll my eyes as he grabs his jacket from the bed and heads for the door, with me trailing behind him._

"_Oh God…yes, right there," he groans, as I stroke him with my hand. I let my gaze run up his naked body to his face. His eyes are closed in pleasure and his brow is glistening with sweat. I feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me as I observe his reactions; some days I still can't quite believe that I'm the only one who can make him feel this way._

_Still watching him intently, I lower my mouth to his tip, excitement curling in my own stomach when he hisses in response._

"_God, Liz…" he exhales breathily, his fingers clutching at my shoulders as I pleasure him._

_However, as much as I'd love to continue, his reactions are turning me on so much that if I don't feel him inside me soon, I'll explode. I place a tender kiss to his tip and quickly slide up his body. _

"_Liz?" he questions throatily, his eyes flying open to see what's going on._

"_I need you now, Max," I tell him softly, as I position my body above him._

"_Okay," he whispers, reaching for the box of condoms on the table._

"_No, wait," I tell him. He stops his hand in mid-air. "Don't," I say, shaking my head. "I want to feel all of you tonight."_

"_Liz, I don't think –"_

"_It's supposed to be so much better without condoms," I cut in. "Please?"_

"_Liz, I'm not making love to you without protection, okay?" he says firmly._

"_You won't be," I protest. "I'm on the pill, remember?" _

_He looks dubious, but I'm pretty good at reading him and I know part of him wants to do this too. _

"_Okay, fine," he says eventually. "But, just this once, okay? I don't want to risk it again."_

"_Thank you," I grin and lean down for a kiss. "But you know, the pill is effective – close to 100% – it's really not that much of a risk. And trust me, you'll enjoy it."_

_His eyes darken at that and his hands move to grip my waist as I lower myself onto him. We both gasp as he fills me up. The sensation of being skin-to-skin with him is like nothing I've ever felt before and my sudden orgasm takes us both by surprise. Max begins to move his hips beneath me as my inner muscles contract around him frantically. As the waves of pleasure subside somewhat, I use the opportunity to move above him, creating a delicious rhythm. At first we go slow in an attempt fully experience these new feelings, but after a while the anticipation becomes too great and Max pulls my upper body down towards him and then deftly flips me beneath him. Pinning my arms to the pillow above my head with his hands, he begins pounding into me mindlessly. I throw back my head in ecstasy as his mouth makes its way down to my breasts, licking and sucking, slowly driving me crazy._

_Seconds later, a second, more intense wave of pleasure starts building in my belly. It flows through my entire body, like the sun's rays warm the earth as the clouds move away, and slip my hands from Max's slackened grip on them and cling to his shoulder as though he's my lifeline. At that very moment, he lets out a throaty cry and he lengthens inside me as he reaches his release. His climax, his seed, spills into my body and the feel of it triggers yet another release. I shudder and moan beneath him as he collapses above me in exhaustion._

_I never knew it could feel _that _good._

_

* * *

_

I shake my head to bring myself back to the present – where am I again? Oh yeah, at Harvard. Without Max. You know, the memory of that incredible night is what's going to get me through the next few weeks until I can see him again. It's going to be more difficult being away from him this semester, compared to the last couple of years. See, Becca and Jack decided that they wanted to try living together as a couple, so they're renting a studio apartment just off Main Street this year. To make things worse, Tim and Kelly are living together as well now, which means I'm out of a house to live in senior year. Over the summer, I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to do about my living situation and in the end I chose to go with university accommodation, so now I'm living in a 4-bedroom apartment on campus with three other seniors.

It's actually quite fun to meet and live with new people, although I do miss the closeness that I had with Jack and Becca last year. Luckily though, they've decided that they're gonna make me go to clubs and parties with them and generally spend as much time with them as possible to make up for abandoning me. Personally, I think they want to make sure that I don't relapse and become depressed again, which actually I'm really grateful for because that's the last thing I want to happen again.

I'm really happy right now, and I'm determined to stay that way.

_TBC…_


	3. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

**Max**

_Tuesday September 27__th__ 2005_

_…There she is, walking along the beach towards me, her long silky hair flowing down her back, her pretty, floaty dress blowing in the wind, moulding to her every curve. She looks so beautiful, like a goddess, that I almost can't believe she's really mine and that in a few months' time, she'll be my wife. If only she knew how much I want to reach out and touch her, how much I need to take her in my arms and never let go. She looks away from the horizon and I can feel her gaze on me. She smiles and beckons for me to join her; I grin and jog towards her, taking her in my arms and twirling her around until we're both dizzy. We come to a stop, yet she doesn't let go of me; instead, she tights her grip on my neck and lowers her mouth for a breathtaking kiss…_

"Excuse me, is this seat free?"

The sudden question startles me out of my Liz-dream (that's what I call my Liz-induced daydreams) and I shake my head, trying to work out where I am. Oh yeah, that's right, I'm in the library – studying, supposedly.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" comes the voice again. I quickly run the back of my hand across my mouth to wipe away any evidence of drool (which apparently happens a lot when I start thinking about my fiancée) and raise my head to look up at the owner of the voice.

The first thing I notice is bright, blue eyes staring down at me as I shift in my seat. It seems that full, pink lips, currently upturned in a sheepish smile, and long wavy blonde hair, accompany those piercing eyes.

"Sorry, did you say something?" I ask in confusion, as I begin rearranging my books on the table.

The girl laughs, most likely at my fumbling.

"I was just wondering if this seat was free?" she asks, pointing to the chair opposite me.

"Oh, um, yeah, it is," I mumble. "Take a seat."

"Thanks," she smiles, slipping into the chair. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm not really in the mood to sit alone today."

"Oh, no, it's okay," I assure her. "I don't mind at all."

"I'm Alex, by the way," she says, holding out her hand to me.

"Max," I tell her, shaking her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Max," she smiles.

"You, too," I reply, before gently extracting my hand from hers and turning back to my textbook.

"Not a conversationalist, then, I take it?"

"I'm sorry?" I glance up at her in confusion.

"You just seem rather eager to get back to your studying," she says.

I frown slightly, "Well, this is a library."

"Yeah, you're right, it is. Sorry for the interruption," she backtracks quickly, before opening her books and starting to read.

I sigh, and close my book. "Look, I didn't mean for it to come out like that," I apologise. "I'm just a little distracted today."

She looks up with a sympathetic smile, "Girl trouble?"

"Well, yeah…" I concede. "But not in the way you're thinking."

"Oh?"

"We have a good relationship; a great one, actually," I tell her.

"But?"

"She lives in Boston."

"Oh," repeats Alex, a little more subdued.

"Yeah," I agree with a sigh. "It's just hard, you know? Being so far apart."

I don't really know why I'm spilling my guts to a girl I've only just met, but she seems friendly and easy to talk to, so why not?

She nods, "I can relate to that. My ex lived in Seattle and I was in California. It wasn't easy. I guess that's why we only lasted a few months." She exhales and glances down at the table briefly, before looking back up at me, "So, how long have you and your girl been together?"

"Just over three years," I tell her with a smile. "And still going strong."

"Wow," her eyes widen. "Well, good for you."

"Thanks."

Our conversation seemingly over, I turn back to my studying and Alex does the same. However, we do partake in casual small talk as we study and by 7pm, I've discovered that her full name is Alexandra Jacobs, but she prefers to go by Alex; she's a transfer student from UC Berkley, although she's originally from Southern California; she's a junior, majoring in History; and she's renting an apartment off campus with a very nice girl she met at orientation. In turn, I tell her all the basics about myself; you know, like how I grew up in Roswell and although I was a good student in high school, I just couldn't afford out-of-state tuition fees to go to another college; that I share an apartment with three of my friends from the soccer team; that Liz was my best friend for years before we got together and that I was lucky enough to be able to attend Harvard with her for a semester last year.

We end up leaving the library together and since it appears our apartments are pretty close to each other, I offer to walk her home. On the way, we exchange numbers and she says that if I ever need someone to vent to or to have fun with, I shouldn't hesitate to give her a call. I give her a grateful smile and say goodnight before walking back to my own apartment. You know, it's funny how much spending a few hours studying and conversing with a complete stranger can really lift your spirits – I think that Alex could become a good friend of mine this year.

* * *

"Anyone home?" I call as I let myself in through the apartment door and drop my keys on the table beside it.

"Hey, man, in here," comes John's voice from the kitchen.

I enter the kitchen to find all three of my roommates sitting around the table in the centre, playing cards.

"Alright, guys?" I greet as I take a seat. Mark and Pete nod in response, their eyes not leaving the playing cards in their hands. "What's going on?"

"Poker," mumbles Mark distractedly, his brow furrowed.

"Oh," I say. "So, who's winning?"

"I am," Pete informs me, looking up from his cards just long enough to give me a grin before concentrating on the game again. I smirk; as much as both Mark and John like to think they can win, Pete's always been the best at poker.

"Cool," I say, reaching for one of the beers on the table. I take a swig and sit back to watch them play. I'm not really into poker myself, mostly because I'm really crap at it, so I'm happy to just relax and watch them play.

"Oh, hey, Max," says John a few minutes later, in between games, "Liz called earlier. She said could you call her back when you got in?"

"Oh, okay. Great," I thank him, a grin spreading across my face. At the mere mention of Liz, I can't help but remember the perfect night we shared last weekend before she flew back to Cambridge. She gave me a call Sunday to let me know she'd arrived, but I haven't spoken to her since.

"I guess I'll go call her back," I add casually, trying not to make it obvious that I'm trying not to leap out of my chair and run to my room to call her. I don't think it works, because the three of them share a smirk as John hands me the cordless phone.

"Here you go, buddy."

"Thanks," I take the phone from him and head towards my room, dialling Liz's number as I go. She picks up just as I reach my room.

"Hello?" comes her soft voice.

"Hey, it's me," I tell her.

"Hey, you," she murmurs happily.

"John said you called," I state with a smile.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks for calling back."

"No problem," I smile again – any excuse to call her

"So, how are you?" she asks lightly. "Recovered from the weekend yet?"

I chuckle at her straight forwardness, "Just about. Still really tired for some reason, though."

"I bet," she laughs and my heart just about melts at the beautiful sound.

"So, what's up?" I ask, when her laughter subsides.

"Oh, I wanted to talk to you about the wedding plans," she tells me almost matter-of-factly.

"Okay. What's going on?" I ask as I take a seat on the bed and lean back, supporting myself with one hand.

"My mom called this afternoon; she and Diane are trying to sort out numbers and want to know if we've finalised our guest lists yet," she sighs.

"What, already?" I exclaim in surprise. "Isn't it a bit soon for that?"

"Well, that's what I told her," she mutters and I can just picture her rolling her eyes down the phone. "But according to her, 'weddings take time to plan; it's not going to happen overnight', and I just don't have the time right now."

"Hey, it's going to be alright," I assure her gently. "Look, we'll each work on something small, make sure we keep our parents informed and we should make it to next July relatively unscathed," I add with a chuckle.

She sighs on the other end of the line, "I guess…"

I frown, "Liz, what's wrong?"

"I just…Max, this last year of school is going to be hard enough for me, for both of us, without adding the stress of organising a wedding to it. What if July is just too soon after graduation? Maybe we should move it forward a couple of months – have the ceremony in September or October?"

Part of me thinks that perhaps she's right – that July is too soon; but the thought of having to wait another two months to make her my wife makes my chest hurt.

"Honestly, Liz, I don't know if I have the willpower to wait that long," I start softly. "But if you think it might be too much for you, then I'm happy to wait."

"Oh, I just don't know," she sighs in frustration. "You know, I really don't want to wait either; but I feel like maybe we're taking on too much right now, with school work and everything."

"Look, I'll tell you what," I suggest, trying to settle her fears. "How about we leave it as July for now – after all the church is booked and everything – but if at any time, you feel like it's getting too much, just tell me and we'll work something out, okay?"

"Okay," she agrees, her relief evident in her tone. "Thank you, Max."

"No problem," I smile through the phone.

We talk for a while longer, almost until we fall asleep. Liz tells me about her senior classes and what it's like living with new roommates. Apparently Jack and Becca are settling into their apartment happily, and so are Tim and Kelly. She's also pretty excited because Maria is coming up to Boston to visit her this weekend and they're going to spend the two days going shopping and having gossip sessions (for once, I'm actually glad I'll be safely on the other side of the country for that one).

All in all, she sounds relatively happy to be back at Harvard, although I know she's missing me as much as I'm missing her – she keeps telling me as much, over and over. I just hope that she manages to enjoy herself this year; I'd hate it if she became miserable again and I couldn't be there to help her.

_TBC_…


	4. Interlude I

**Interlude One**

_**Max**_

_**Present day – August 2006**_

"Okay, are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready," she grins up at me. "I am also willing and able."

"Great," I return the grin, holding out my arms to her. "Shall we?"

She nods eagerly and jumps into my outstretched arms. I briefly adjust my hold on her, so she doesn't fall, and kick the door open with my foot. Carefully (I don't want to hit her head on the doorway), I carry her over the threshold of our new apartment.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Evans," I murmur in her ear.

She tightens her grip around my neck, leaning up to reply, "You, too, Mr. Evans," before capturing my lips with her own.

The kiss becomes heated quickly and I fear that if we continue like this, I will lose my balance and drop her; so I stumble across the room to the couch and gently lay her on the soft cushions, my mouth not leaving hers for a second. She parts her thighs in invitation and I settle my weight above her, my hands coming to rest on either side of her head. I let out a low groan as I feel her legs tighten around my waist and I harden in response. Man, I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing this.

Liz's hands find their way under my shirt and I shiver as her warm fingers traced small circles on my lower back. Instinctively, my hips begin moving against her and we both gasp at the friction between our bodies. I reach for Liz's shirt and pull it over her head, dropping it to the floor as I lower my mouth to her chest. I get as far as unhooking her bra and closing my lips around her right nipple, before the phone rings.

"Ignore it," Liz mutters, her fingers now buried in my hair.

"Hi, Liz; hi Max, just calling to see if you were back from the honeymoon yet…"

I try to ignore it, honestly I do, but when your new mother-in-law's voice comes over the answer phone, you just can't continue defiling her daughter, even if you're married to her. So I stop.

"What? What's wrong?" she asks when I lift myself off her.

"Liz, that's your mom on the phone. I can't make love to you while she's here!"

Liz chuckles, "Max, she's not actually _here_, and it's not like she knows what we're doing!"

"Still, it's just not right," I state with a shudder, crossing my arms.

"Fine," she sighs and refastens her bra, although I can see the laughter in her eyes. God, she thinks it's funny? "Let's start getting this place organised then, shall we?"

"Right," I compose myself. "Well, I'd better go get the bags out of the car."

"Okay, I'll make sure everything's tidy before we unpack," she replies, pulling her shirt over her head. She stands up and gives my lips a quick peck before heading towards the bedroom.

I watch her retreating figure for a moment, drinking her in, before turning to leave the apartment. As I jog down the two flights of stairs to the cars, my mind travels back over the last year. So much has happened in the last few months that part of me is surprised we actually made it to the wedding. We've both had a tough year and I've made a few mistakes that I completely regret, but we got through everything and now we're married. Just the thought that Liz is really my wife is enough to bring a huge grin to my face; in fact, I find myself whistling happily as I retrieve our luggage from the car and begin climbing the stairs once again.

"Okay, I've got the bags," I call out as I let myself back into our new apartment. "Where do you want them?"

"In here, please," she replies from the bedroom, her voice slightly muffled.

I carry our suitcases into the room and drop them onto our queen-sized bed, before taking a seat on the end. Liz is kneeling in front of the wardrobe, her upper body hidden inside it. I'm guessing she's trying to make more room for all her shoes. You know, before we moved our things into the apartment three weeks ago, I never realised the full extent of Liz's shoe collection. I mean; she must have at least twenty pairs in there, not counting the five pairs of sandals she bought in Barbados last week!

"Hey, what are you waiting for?" she asks suddenly. "Let's get unpacked." I look up from my musings to find her standing in front of me, her hands on her hips in a mock-annoyed stance.

I just raise an eyebrow and smirk at her. Her frown only lasts for only two more seconds before she breaks into a grin and practically jumps onto my lap.

"I can't believe we finally made it," she cries ecstatically. "Max, we're married!"

"I know," I reply just as enthusiastically, leaning in for a kiss as I murmur, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she pulls back, smiling serenely. "And don't you just love this apartment? I'm so glad we found it."

"Me, too," I tell her. "It's perfect."

It wasn't until almost three months ago that I realised we hadn't really thought through the 'let's get married' thing practically. Sure, we'd arranged the ceremony for July and I'd booked the two-week honeymoon in Barbados, but neither one of us had given much thought as to where we were gonna live after that. Part of the decision was made for us when I was offered a job with a publishing company in Santa Fe (I start on Monday) – it will mainly be office work, but at least it's a job and it pays pretty well. Anyway, as you might have gathered, I accepted the job and after graduation, Liz and I began looking for apartments in Santa Fe. We can't afford to buy a place of our own, but we have enough to rent for a few months until we can afford to put a deposit down on something.

After viewing almost a dozen places, we eventually found the perfect place. It's not massive and it's on the third floor, but it's cosy and just right for newlyweds (at least, that's what the realtor said). The front door leads right into a fairly spacious living room, with a fireplace. Off to the right, is the kitchen, which is pretty small, but brand new and all the equipment works, so we have nothing to complain about. Opposite the kitchen is the bathroom, complete with a bath and shower combo and a small countertop by the sink. We have two bedrooms, next to each other, between the kitchen and bathroom. The guest room is really small and will only fit a single bed, but our room is just the right size for us. We have a joint wardrobe, two chests of drawers, a dressing table with a mirror and, as I mentioned before, a queen-size bed; the bed that Liz is currently pushing me down onto, despite the fact that our bags are in the way.

Needless to say, the unpacking doesn't get done for quite a while.

* * *

"Okay, so what shall we make for dinner?" wonders Liz as she opens and closes the cupboards in the kitchen. I lean against the table, cross my arms and simply watch her as she moves about the kitchen. I can't seem to take my eyes off her cute butt. "Max? Hello?"

"Huh?" I look up sheepishly. She's waving her hand in front of my face to get my attention.

"Dinner," she clarifies. "What do you want?"

"You?" I try.

She smirks and raises an eyebrow, "Sorry, not good enough; I meant food. And besides, you just had me an hour ago."

"Do we have to cook tonight, Lizzie?" I ask with my best attempt at a pout. "It's our first night here and I'm exhausted!"

"Yeah, I wonder why that could be?" she grins. I shrug, feigning ignorance. "Okay, okay, we won't cook tonight. How does Chinese sound?"

"Chinese sounds great, my darling," I murmur, reaching to wrap my arms around her waist.

"Okay, great," she smiles, twisting out of my grip. "I'll just go call them."

I sigh with disappointment; I wanted to hold her.

"Oh, and Max?" she calls over her shoulder as she reaches for the phone. "Don't call me 'darling', I can't stand it."

"I'm sorry, _honey_," I retort playfully. "I won't do it again."

She flips through the yellow pages and dials the number for the nearest Chinese takeout place, although just before she speaks into the receiver I swear I hear her mutter,

"You bet your ass you won't, _my beloved_."

I shudder, getting her point. The thought alone of being called 'beloved' almost makes me break out in hives.

I think I've just learned the first rule of marriage: _Never_ call your spouse by any kind of nickname other than her own personal one given to her by you, and you'll do just fine.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

_Liz_

_Saturday October 1__st__ 2005_

"Wow, I'm exhausted," exclaims Maria, as we drop our shopping bags on the kitchen table.

"Me, too," I agree, walking over to the fridge to grab a couple of sodas. "But you have to agree that it was fun."

"Yeah, it was," she chuckles.

Maria has come up from New York to stay with me for the weekend and we've just spent six hours shopping in the city. However, as tiring as it was, I can't deny that I love spending time with my best friend from home. We haven't been able to get together that often over the last three years, what with me living out here and her at home in Roswell, and I miss having her around to share gossip and have fun. Maria arrived yesterday afternoon, so last night we went out to a club with Becca, Jack, Tim and Kelly and had a great time. It's funny how having her around, despite the fact that she reminds me of home, actually keeps my mind off Max and how much I miss seeing him every day.

Tonight however, we've decided to have a girl's night in with my roommates, Lauren, Grace, and Emma, all three of whom are lovely girls and I really think I'll enjoy living with them this year. Grace is the outgoing one, not surprising considering that she's studying Dramatic Arts, and even though I've only known her a week, she's already decided that we're going to be the best of friends all year (I am a little sceptical though, since from what I've seen, she appears to have a habit of promising to do all these different things, but then not actually following through). Lauren and Emma are both English majors and although they seem like a lot of fun, they do know the importance of studying hard, which I think is a good balance to have.

"So, how's the wedding planning going?" asks Maria as I take a seat at the table and hand her a can of Fresca. I make a face, causing her to add, "Or shouldn't I ask?"

"No, I mean, it all seems to be going smoothly so far," I tell her.

"But…?"

"I just can't help thinking that maybe it's a stupid idea to try to juggle both planning the wedding and finishing college this year," I confess with a sigh. "I'd rather just concentrate on one life-changing thing at a time, you know?"

"Yeah, I can understand that," she replies thoughtfully. "Have you spoken to Max about this?"

"Yeah, I mentioned it to him the other day. He suggested that we kept the date booked and everything for now, but that I had to tell him if I start feeling like it's too much," I say softly, looking down at the can of soda in my hand.

"Well, then, what are you worrying about?" cries Maria, waving her drink in the air as she speaks. "Just tell him that you want to wait a while – until after Graduation – to make the plans and then you guys can get married in the winter."

"But I don't want to _wait_," I protest, "I want to get married as soon as we can."

Okay, so I know I'm contradicting myself, but I just don't know what to do right now.

Maria chuckles, shaking her head, "Liz, you're hopeless."

I shrug and smile sheepishly.

"Look, Liz," she starts, leaning across the table towards me, "honestly, you're so lucky to have a guy like Max, who understands your concerns and is willing to put his own feelings aside to make you happy. My advice? Make the most of it."

I smile and roll my eyes, "But, Ria, you know I'd just feel guilty about making him wait."

"Liz!" she cries in exasperation. "You can't have it both ways, okay? Look, you just concentrate on getting through this year and graduating top of your class." I roll my eyes again. "Okay, so maybe not _top_ of the class, but as high up as you can," she amends. "I'm sure your mom and Max's mom won't mind sorting things out for you. In fact, I know they won't – they've been practically buzzing about this for months!"

"Yeah, I guess they have," I admit. I take in a breath and exhale slowly. "Okay, I'll do what you say and stop worrying about it."

"That's a good girl," she grins, patting my hand in a motherly gesture, before straightening up in her seat in a business-like fashion. "Now then, tell me what exciting things are on the agenda for tonight."

* * *

"Okay, ladies," announces Grace lavishly, her wine glass raised in the air. "Let's really get this party started!"

Her suggestion is met with groans from Emma and Lauren, who have known Grace a few weeks longer than I have, but Maria perks up at the words.

"Ooh, what did you have in mind?" she asks almost mischievously, with a wink in my direction. I just roll my eyes – for about the tenth time today. I know what she's doing; she's trying to cheer me up over the whole wedding thing. From what I've heard, though, I'm not sure that one of Grace's party starters is going to do that.

"What do you say to Truth or Dare?" she grins.

"I say I'm in; how about you, Liz?" Maria looks at me with pleading eyes.

Oh God, why did I have to introduce her and Maria to one another?

"I guess."

"Great," grins Grace. "And you guys?"

Lauren and Emma share a look. "Yeah, alright," replies Emma for both of them.

"Okay, I'll start," announces Grace. "Em, truth or dare?"

"Umm…truth?" replies Emma, almost nervously.

"Right, here we go…how many people have you slept with?"

"Three," she answers promptly, looking kind of relieved. She gives Grace a triumphant look, before turning to Lauren. "Truth or dare, L?"

Lauren looks a little more relaxed as she answers confidently, "Truth."

"Have you ever had a one-night-stand, and if so, who with?" asks Emma.

"Um…" Lauren mumbles, looking embarrassed. "Yeah, I have. There was this cute guy in my Spanish class freshman year – his name was Tim-something, I think; anyway, we got to talking at the campus bar one night, one thing led to another and we ended up in his dorm room. I was so embarrassed afterwards, that I avoided him like the plague after that. I haven't seen him since the end of that class," she tells us, sounding somewhat thankful. "So, Liz, your turn."

"Okay," I exhale slowly as I try to decide which option to go for. "Truth," I state resolutely after a few seconds.

"Okay…where's the most adventurous place you've had sex?"

I can feel my cheeks turning pink as the memories flit though my mind – Max and I have been known to be pretty creative when it comes to sex.

"Um…" I start guiltily; knowing that one person in this room is not going to like my answer. "On one of the kitchen tables in my parent's restaurant – when they were upstairs asleep," I admit shamefacedly.

"Whoa," whistles Emma incredulously, "I don't think I'd have had the balls to do something like that. I mean what if you'd gotten caught?"

Maria is less impressed.

"Oh my God, Liz!" she exclaims in disgust. "I used to make food in that kitchen! That's just…eww."

"Okay, so I'll admit we felt bad about it afterwards, but it definitely wasn't 'eww' at the time," I smirk, remembering that incredible, exciting night.

"Wow, too much information, Liz!" she cries, holding up a hand to stop me. "Oh God, I'm never going to be able to look at Max the same way again. Urgh," she shudders, while beside us, the other three start laughing.

"You know what, Maria?" I begin, with a glare in her direction. "I think it's your turn now; so which is it…truth or dare?"

See, I already know which one she's gonna pick. She had a bad experience with a dare in junior high – something involving raw eggs and not much clothing (don't ask) – which is why I already have a question picked out for her.

"Truth," she states, rolling her eyes. What did I tell you?

"Okay, you asked for it," I tell her smugly; time to get my own back. "Tell me, Maria, what exactly were you and Michael up to when we couldn't find you that day last summer down by the lake?"

"Um," Maria fidgets uncomfortably, her cheeks turning slightly pink. However, she feigns innocence, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I beg to differ," I retort with a smirk.

"I…I…" she fumbles briefly, before letting out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping in surrender. "Okay, fine…that day at the lake, when you guys were swimming, Michael and I…" she trails off suddenly, before taking a deep breath. "Michael and I were…I was…givinghimablowjob," she finishes hurriedly. I hide a grin; finally, the truth is out. Ever since that afternoon, we've been trying to get that out of them and both Maria and Michael have been extremely tight-lipped about it. And you wanna know why? Here goes…

"Aha, I knew it! So then what happened?" I hedge, fully knowing the answer, but feeling the need to embarrass her.

"Um…hmm…" she mumbles, lowering her head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." I know I'm being mean, but I can't seem to help it tonight.

She sighs and closes her eyes briefly, as if preparing herself. "I was right in the middle of…you know…when the park ranger pulled up and caught us in the act. I've never felt so humiliated in my life," she finishes and glares at me as Grace, Emma and Lauren simultaneously start sniggering.

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" I tease unashamedly.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, Liz Parker," she threatens, before adding quickly, "Okay, let's move on, shall we? Grace, truth or dare?"

"You know what, I'm going for dare this time," she tells us with an air of confidence, after her giggles have subsided. "Hit me."

Maria sends a sly glance my way before replying. Uh oh, what's she up to?

"Okay, Grace, I dare you to call Max," she shoots me a sly smirk, "Liz's lovely fiancé, pretend to be an avid admirer and offer him the best sex of his life."

"Maria, you can't do _that_!" I cry, my reaction immediate. Shit, Max isn't too comfortable with female attention – and believe me, he gets quite a lot, even when I'm with him – this could be disastrous. Although, on the other hand, it might be kind of fun to hear him squirm…I know, I know, I'm evil; but sometimes you just have to poke a little bit of fun at the guy you're marrying.

"Come on, Liz – after what you just pulled, this is deserved," retorts Maria.

"Actually, you know what? I say go for it, Grace. In fact, why don't you put him on speakerphone? I wanna hear this," I tell her impishly.

"Ooh, that's more like it, chica," she grins. "Let's get on and embarrass Maxie-boy, shall we?"

"Hang on, wait a sec, guys," starts Grace. "You do realise I haven't agreed to this yet, don't you?"

"Hey, it's your dare," shrugs Maria. "You have to do it."

"Okay, fine," she grins. "Hand me the phone. Liz, what's your guy's number?"

I reel off the digits that have become so familiar to me over the last couple of years. She punches them in and then presses the speakerphone button.

"Okay, guys, get ready, it's ringing!"

"Hello?"

_TBC…_


	6. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

_**Max**_

_**Saturday October 1**__**st**__** 2005**_

"Oh, come on," cries Mark incredulously, throwing his hands up in despair. "What the fuck was that?"

"You know, someone should shoot that ref," adds Pete. "I mean, where the hell did he train? The Spanish School for the Blind?"

"That's the third foul he's missed today," I agree with a roll of my eyes. I mean, honestly, what is the matter with referees these days? Surely it can't be that hard to concentrate on what the person with the ball is doing?

"More beer, anyone?" offers John as the half-time whistle is blown and the camera goes back to the studio, where the sports presenters are discussing the first 45 minutes of the match.

"Sure," Pete, Mark and I agree simultaneously and John heads to the kitchen.

We're currently watching the pre-recorded soccer match between Arsenal and Real Madrid that was played live in Spain last night. Since that part of Europe is eight hours ahead, the only TV station in the southwest that airs men's soccer won't show the games live (apparently the time difference affects ratings), so we get stuck watching it on the weekend.

John appears back in the living room with two six-packs of Bud and three large bags of chips, some of which he hands to the three of us on the couch before relaxing into the armchair by the window with a beer and a handful of chips for himself. As we wait for the second half to begin, we relax back into soccer talk, discussing the unexpected goal by Arsenal in the eighteenth minute, the equaliser by Real Madrid in the forty-third and the fact that David Beckham isn't playing a particularly good game this match, having missed two opportunities to score for Real Madrid already.

About two minutes later, however, the phone rings, disrupting a somewhat heated argument between Pete and Mark over a particular foul at the beginning of the match. Since it's closest to me, I reach for it and press the 'call' button.

"Hello?"

"_Hi there," _a soft feminine voice with a southern accent comes through the line. _"Is this Max?" _

"Yes, it is…" I say slowly, wondering who on Earth is calling for me; it's definitely not Liz.

"_Hello, Max,"_ the voice continues breathily. _"It's Sandy; you know, from your…uh…American Lit class."_

"Sandy…?" I frown as I try to picture her face. Nope, I don't think I know any Sandy.

"_Oh, so you remember me, then,"_ the sultry voice giggles. I frown again; this girl is weird.

"Um –" I really don't know what to say.

"_Look, Max, I know I probably shouldn't be calling you, but I just can't get you out of my mind."_ I hear some kind of scuffling in the background, but I ignore it, finding myself more concerned with the fact that this girl seems to think she knows me.

"I'm sorry, who did you say you were again?" I ask, but she just seems to ignore me.

"_What do you say we get together some night next week?" _ she continues, her voice becoming throaty. I'm tempted to ask her if she's alright.

"I don't think that –"

"_Oh Maxie, don't be like that," _she gasps then and I can almost see the pout over the phone. _"All I want is one night. Just one night and I'll give you the best sex of your life."_

My eyes go wide and I sit up straight on the couch. "I – I'm sorry, you want to…what?"

"_Oh, come on, Max,"_ she coaxes. I roll my eyes._ "I want to show you what you've been missing out on all your life. Just thinking about what I want to do to you is making me wet." _Oh. My. God. _"I want to take you in my mouth and suck you like a lollipop until you come like you've never come before."_

That's it. I shoot out of the chair, holding the phone away from my ear with a disgusted face. Taking a deep breath, I raise the receiver back up to my ear. As I begin to speak, I can hear that strange scuffling noise again, but I ignore it. I am too angry right now.

"Look here,_ lady_. I don't know who you think you are, but I am _not_ interestedin your disgusting, kinky ideas, okay?" I fume. "I am happily engaged to the love of my life and I don't need to be 'satisfied' by you or anyone else. Got it?"

There's a brief silence on the other end, before I hear another weird noise and then her voice again, _"Okay, okay, I got it. No need to be rude." _Seriously, what is with this girl? _"But, seriously, if you ever wanna hook up, you know where to find me." _ Oh right, my American Lit class…apparently.

"I'm sorry, but whatever happens, I will never 'hook up' with _you_," I grind out. "Now, goodbye!"

I hang up on her, shuddering as I toss the phone on the coffer table and sink back down into the couch with my head in my hands. "Urgh."

There's silence for a moment, until John pipes up with an innocent, "So who was that then?" and they all burst out laughing.

I look up from my hands. "Oh ha, ha, laugh it up, guys," I retort. "Just be thankful you don't have random women calling you up and offering you oral sex."

Mark and Pete exchange glances with each other and then snort with laughter once more.

"Urgh," I shudder again in disgust. "You guys carry on watching the game," I tell them as I stand up. "I have to go call Liz – get my mind off that revolting woman."

I leave the room and head for my bedroom. When I get there, I march in, push the door closed behind me and grab my cell phone from the bed. I press number one on the speed dial and wait impatiently for her to pick up.

"Hey, Max," she answers a moment later, laughter in her voice. "What's up?"

"Liz, you will not believe what just happened to me!" I exclaim loudly, not even pausing to say hello to her.

"Hello to you, too," she answers playfully.

"I'm sorry," I lower my voice a little, speaking more calmly this time. "It just…I can't believe the nerve of that – that…" I trail off, anger overtaking my body.

There's a pause on the other end and I hear muffled giggling in the background before, "What happened, Max?"

"Some girl named Sandy just called me and offered to…she said she wanted to…God, I can't even say it!" I stutter out.

"She did what, Max?" inquires Liz, sounding almost…amused?

I frown, forgetting my mortification for a moment. "Liz…is something going on?"

"Oh, um…no," she says quickly, innocently. "But there's someone here who wants to have a word with you."

"Liz…what –?" I don't get any further because there's a sudden shuffling and then I hear a different voice.

"_Well, hi there again, Max," _comes the southern feminine tone. My eyes widen in horror. It's her! _"So, I take it you've changed your mind about us, then?" _

"Shit," I breathe, totally shocked. "What the hell is this?"

I hear giggling from the other end and then Liz's voice comes over the phone again, "Sorry, what was that you were saying, Max? Someone named Sandy, was it? See and I thought her name was Grace!"

Realisation finally dawns and my mouth falls open, "Oh my God, that was you calling earlier? You were playing me? I can't believe this!" I slap a hand to my forehead in bewilderment.

"Aww, come on, even you have to admit it was funny," she chuckles.

"Not when I'm the one you're playing jokes on!"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" she apologises with a sigh. "But it wasn't actually my idea. We were playing Truth or Dare and calling you was Grace's dare, so if you're going to accuse anyone, blame our lovely friend, Maria here for coming up with the punishment."

I take that in. Actually, now that I know the call wasn't real, I have to admit that the dare was good. Although I'm surprised Liz didn't stop them – she knows I hate that kind of attention from girls. An unintentional chuckle escapes from my throat and I sink down to the bed and let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'll admit it; it was kinda funny," I confess. "But, I'm surprised that you just sat there and let her call me like that."

"Ah, see," she chuckles again. "I was going to protest at first, but then I decided it could be rather amusing to hear you squirm."

"You were listening?" I exclaim, embarrassed. Her silence says it all. "Oh God, I was on speakerphone, wasn't I?" More silence. "Shit."

A loud giggle suddenly sounds through the line, followed by her amused voice, "Well, at least we'll have an entertaining story for the wedding speeches."

"Oh, ha, ha," I mumble, my face red. I'm actually glad she can't see me right now. "Very funny."

"Well, I thought so," she replies cheekily.

"I bet you did," I retort playfully and we both laugh.

"Oh, shit!" Liz cries in annoyance a moment later. "Max, I'm gonna have to go – Maria is threatening to tell the others all the embarrassing things you and I used to get up to when we were kids. I have to stop her."

"Well, we'd better hang up now then; I wouldn't trust Maria's version of the truth in any event," I tell her hurriedly.

"Okay…well bye, then. I love you," she tells me softly.

"I love you too," I reply, my lips curling up in a smile. "Talk to you soon"

She murmurs one last, "Bye, Max," down the phone and then she's gone.

As I drop my cell phone back onto the mattress, I breathe a sigh of relief that 'Sandy' was just a cruel, twisted joke and head back to the living room to catch up on the soccer match. I flop down onto the couch once more and grab a beer as I explain to John, Mark and Pete about the Truth or Dare game at Liz's and what her roommate had been dared to do. In fact, I find myself chuckling along with them as the absurdity of the whole situation finally catches up with me.

By the time we've calmed down enough to concentrate on the game again, there's only a few minutes left of the second half. However, in the eighty-seventh minute, it becomes pretty obvious, that the match will be going into extra time as the score is still one-all and it's unlikely that either team with score a goal in the next two-and-a-half minutes. As the thirty minutes of extra time begins, I look down at my watch, mentally calculating how long the game will go on for. It's okay though, because even if there ends up being a penalty shootout, I'll still have time to shower and change before Alex comes over to pick me up. She's invited me to a house party tonight – one that's being hosted by a friend of hers – and despite my initial reservations about spending the evening in a cramped bungalow with a load of drunken students, she insisted it would cheer me up, so I reluctantly agreed.

Now all I can do is sit back, relax and hope that I don't end up totally bored by the end of the night.

_TBC… _


	7. Interlude II

**Interlude Two **

**Liz**

**Present day – August 2006**

"Hmm…" I mutter as I shift in the bed, running my hand over the sheets where Max should be. Wait a minute. My eyes fly open and I'm suddenly alert. Where is he?

"Morning, sleepyhead," comes the smooth velvety tone from inside the wardrobe. I glance at the clock. 6.45 a.m.

"What are you doing up at this time in the morning?" I wonder as I pull myself up into a sitting position, letting the covers fall to my waist.

"Don't you remember, Lizzie? It's my first day at work," he replies; his voice is slightly muffled due to the wardrobe, but I can tell he's rolling his eyes at me.

"But you don't start until nine and it's only four blocks away; it's not like you're gonna get stuck in traffic. Come back to bed." Okay, so I know I'm on the verge of whining, but I miss him already.

"Liz, I want to be prepared for this…I really ought to make a good impression," he says, emerging from the wardrobe with a white shirt in his hand. He's wearing black suit pants…and not much else. "I can't turn up late on the first morn –"

He stops short, his eyes fixed on something. I follow his gaze; he's staring at my…chest? Oh God, when I sat up, I kinda forgot I was naked. Now I'm giving him an eyeful.

"Max?" I query, in an attempt to get him to look at me. He seems to be spacing out on me a lot these days!

"You know what?" he announces suddenly, a grin appears on his handsome features. "What the hell; I don't have to leave for two hours."

Before I know what's happening, he's crossed the room and practically pounced on me. We sink down to the mattress, our tongues dancing together, our hands roaming each other's bodies frantically. Within seconds, his neatly pressed pants have been tossed to the floor in a heap and we're indulging in frantic, early-morning lovemaking.

"Wow," Max exhales as we lay beside each other on our backs more than an hour later.

"Yeah," I murmur dreamily in reply. "I love being married!"

He chuckles, turning his head to gaze into my eyes. I shiver.

"Me, too. It's the best!" he declares, sounding like a little boy, excited about his first bike.

"And to think, we almost didn't make it here," I return softly, only fully realising what I've said when the grin slides from his face.

He shifts onto his side, supporting his head on his hand as he wraps an arm around me and pulls me flush against him. He leans down and presses a firm kiss to my lips before he starts to speak.

"Liz, I don't think I can ever tell you how sorry I am for what happened back in March. I'll always regret not being there for you," he tells me sincerely.

I lift my hand to his cheek, stroking it tenderly. "But Max, you _were_ there for me and I'm so grateful for that. I don't know if I would have gotten through it without you," I assure him. "And we're together now. We're married; and there's no better feeling in the world."

His smile returns and he kisses my lips once more, "I love you so much."

"And I you," I return, burying my face in his neck, inhaling his wonderful scent.

Max shifts again so we're lying back once more. He hugs me to his chest, his hands roaming my back comfortingly. I let out a sigh of contentment.

"I could just stay like this all day," I tell him with my eyes closed.

"Me, too," he replies. "But I really do have to get to work."

"I know," I murmur, contradicting myself by tightening my arms around him when he tries to get up.

"Liz, come on," he chuckles after several attempts to sit up. He rolls his eyes and then leans down to whisper in my ear, "Okay, here's the deal: you let me get up and go to work, and I'll make it more than worth your while when I get home this evening."

My eyes snap open at his words and I loosen my grip on him. "Okay," I reply quickly, practically shoving him out of the bed. "I'll go make breakfast while you get ready," I suggest as I stand up and pull on my robe, wrapping it tightly around my naked body. I head for the door, leaving him standing by the bed.

"Liz, what –?" he seems bewildered by my sudden change of heart.

I send him a 'duh, Max!' look as I explain slowly, "Hey, the sooner you go to work, the sooner you'll be home, right?"

"Um, Liz," he scratches his head. "It doesn't quite work that way. I still have to stay until five, no matter what time I get in."

"Not in my mind," I insist as I leave the room to fix breakfast.

I grin when I hear his exasperated sigh from the bedroom.

* * *

Once in the kitchen, I fix a quick breakfast of toast and orange juice and then sit at the table reading a magazine while I wait for Max. When he enters the kitchen a few minutes later, presses a chaste kiss to my lips and takes a seat next to me, a strange sensation washes over me. For the first time since we got married, it actually feels like we're a real married couple. I watch him take a bite out of his toast, followed by a large gulp of juice and, believe it or not, my stomach does a flip and my heart starts racing.

I'm not at all sure what it is because his movements aren't turning me on as such, but just seeing him enjoying the breakfast I prepared gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. You know, I've always told myself that I'd never turn into the stereotypical housewife, who does all the cooking and cleaning, but there's something about this scene that fills me with a sense of achievement that Max and I are living life as a married couple; that I'm the one who gets to make him happy (and make his breakfast), and not anyone else.

"So, what are you going to do today?" Max asks suddenly, his voice muffled by his mouthful of toast. I shoot him a slightly distasteful look before I answer. God, didn't anyone ever teach him not to speak with his mouth full?

"You now, I'm not sure really," I reply. "Maybe I'll spend some time finding my way around Santa Fe today."

He nods, "You wanna meet me for lunch? We could grab something from one of the cafés by the plaza."

A smile lights up my face. I wasn't really looking forward to the prospect of not seeing him until dinnertime.

"Sure, that'd be great. You wanna give me a call when you're on lunch?"

"Okay," he grins and leans over for another kiss.

We eat in comfortable silence for the next few minutes and then when we're done, Max finishes getting ready for work and I see him off at the door with a tender kiss…that quickly becomes passionate…and almost results in Max being late…Oops.

After he's gone, I find myself at a loss for what to do. It's the first time in the last two-and-a-half weeks that we've spent a significant time away from each other. Now that's not to say that I'm one of those girls who can't spend more than five minutes away from her man, but I've just become so used to his company that it feels weird that he's not here.

I sink down onto the comfy couch we purchased a week before the wedding. We'd spent so long wandering the shops, trying to find the right one, that I think Max was almost ready to kill me by the time we reached the last store. To be honest, I don't think I'd blame him if he had, because as far as he was concerned, the first couch we sat on would have been fine; but in my head, I had a picture of the perfect first couch and until we arrived at the final furniture place, I still hadn't seen it. That was, until I laid my eyes on this one. One glance and I knew; it was the one. It's a nice, big, two-piece suite in dark blue soft material with armrests that you can rest your head on and just fall asleep. It's perfect for relaxing on…for curling up on at the end of a long day…for making love on (as we discovered yesterday).

I sit there on the couch for as long as I can before I find the dirty plates and glasses on the table are calling my name; so I stand up, head for the kitchen and move the breakfast things to the sink. There, that's better. I can wash them later. I leave the room to go take a shower.

* * *

Two hours later, I'm showered and dressed and wandering around the quaint art shops in Santa Fe plaza. Max and I have agreed to meet for lunch at twelve-thirty, which gives me an hour-and-a half to wander around the shops.

As I drift from store to store, occasionally picking up the various artefacts to look at, my mind drifts to the decisions I'm going to have to make in the near future. Although I graduated with fairly decent grades back in May, I still haven't found a job. I haven't even decided if I want to work or go back to school to get a masters. I know that my choices are slightly limited, since Max's job is here in Santa Fe and there are few employment opportunities for science graduates here. I guess there's always the Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque or the Los Alamos National Laboratories, but I'm not even sure anymore that research is the way I want to go.

However, if I go back to school, I'm gonna have to attend somewhere close by and no offence to New Mexico colleges, but there really isn't all that much choice here compared to the rest of the country. At the same time, though, I guess I can't really complain; because despite how that might have sounded just now, I'm happy here in Santa Fe, I really am. Just being here with Max is enough for me, so if I have to go to a New Mexico college for grad school, so be it.

At least it would mean I wouldn't have to spend another couple of years thousands of miles away from Max.

_TBC_…


	8. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

_**Liz**_

_**Monday October 31**__**st**__** 2005 - Halloween**_

"Hey, Liz, you ready yet?" the voice comes through my bedroom door – it's Jack; he and Becca have come over to pick me up. We're going to a Halloween party at a friend of Becca's tonight.

"Just a minute," I call back.

I smooth my hands over my outfit and look at my appearance in the mirror. Even now, five minutes before we have to leave, I'm still having doubts about wearing this; I can't believe Becca actually managed to talk me into it. I very nearly refused point-blank to go through with it, arguing that Max would probably have a fit if he saw me like this, but she insisted that I had to make the most of the last ever Halloween I'll be spending without Max and forced me to do it.

So here I am, nervous as hell about walking out in public in what can only be described as a thin layer of form-fitting material. I take a deep breath, run my fingers through my hair and reach for the doorknob.

"Wow!" is the first sound that greets me as I step out of my room. I look up self-consciously to find all three of my roommates, plus Becca and Jack, standing in a row in front of me.

"You look fantastic, Liz!" exclaims Becca excitedly.

"Really? You think so?" I ask unsurely, feeling rather exposed in my costume. Especially considering that Becca herself is looking completely gorgeous and curvy in her Marilyn Monroe outfit, which is only complemented by Jack's all black, save for a silver tie, gangster costume and shades.

"Really," she confirms. "You look totally hot! Doesn't she, Jack?"

"Huh…what?" he straightens up, closes his mouth and averts his eyes from my costume when she jams her elbow into his ribs. "Oh, um, yeah, you look great, Liz."

Becca and I shake our heads and roll our eyes at each other at the wonder of the male species. The second a girl in a skimpy outfit walks through the door, they're gone, even if said girl is one of their best friends, and despite the fact that their girlfriend is standing right there!

"They're right," adds Emma eagerly, who is also coming with us to the party – she's going as 'an evil, yet still sexy, wicked witch'. "It's a great outfit."

I guess by now you're probably wondering what exactly my costume is. Well, I'll tell you. I am going to the party dressed as a 1940's lounge singer. I'm wearing a satiny red dress, complete with a thigh-high slit on one side and a multitude of cleavage (well, as much as my newly purchased Wonderbra can give me anyway). And to top it all off, my hair is loose and arranged in big curls.

"Thanks, guys," I mutter, shifting awkwardly under all the attention. "Um, shall we go, then?"

"Yeah," grins Becca. "Let's get ready to party!"

* * *

"Isn't this cool?" exclaims Emma, as she grabs a bottle of beer from the fridge in Ben Jameson's kitchen and then comes to stand next to me. Ben is the guy throwing the party; I don't know him that well, but he's a good friend of Becca's, so I have met him briefly a couple of times.

"Yeah," I reply, taking a sip from the glass of alcoholic punch in my hand. She's right, it is a cool party, but from some reason I can't seem to relax and enjoy myself, so I've been kind of hanging out in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room for the last hour.

"Hey, Liz, Emma, get your asses over here," calls Becca from the middle of the makeshift dance floor.

Emma turns to me with a questioning look. I shake my head.

"You go dance; I'll stay here with my drink," I tell her.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go on," I smile. "Don't worry about me."

I watch as she joins Becca and Jack in the centre of the room. I really am content to just stand on the sidelines tonight. A smile plays on my lips as I watch them having fun and I realise then how relaxed and happy I feel, being back at Harvard again, especially after what happened last year.

"Hey, are you okay?" someone asks me a few moments later. I turn my head to find a tall, blond guy smiling down at me. It's Ben Jameson.

I return his friendly smile, "Oh, I'm fine, thanks."

"Really?" he sounds a little sceptical. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather be dancing?"

I shake my head, "No, I'm okay right here. Don't worry about me."

"Okay, then, I won't," he grins, sticking his hand out to me. "I'm Ben, by the way, and this right here, is my humble abode."

"Liz," I reply, shaking his hand cordially. "And I already know who you are. Actually, I think we've met a couple of times," I inform him. "I'm Becca's old roommate."

A look of realisation crossed his face and his dark eyes widen in recognition. "Yeah, I remember now; you're the scientist, right?"

"Yeah," I nod. "Biology major."

He returns the nod.

"So, how's senior year going for you? Hectic, right?"

"Yeah," I agree, rolling my eyes. "You can say that again."

"For me, too."

"What's your major?" I ask, genuinely curious. I'm sure Becca mentioned it once, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was.

"Business and accounting," he replies, adding sarcastically, "It's mind-blowing stuff, it really is."

I grin, "Yeah, I know what you mean; there are some parts of Biology that just send me to sleep!"

He returns my grin and we settle into an amicable conversation about the struggles of being a senior. For the most part, I feel comfortable and at ease talking to the guy. The only unnerving thing is that his gaze keeps wandering down to my chest and I have to quell the urge to cover myself with my hands, all the while wondering why on earth I agreed to go out in public like this.

Luckily, I'm saved from further embarrassment when my purse starts vibrating. I make a quick excuse to Ben and pull out my cell phone, briefly checking the caller ID before I pick up. It's Max.

"Hey, gorgeous," his smooth timbre echoes down the line.

"Hey yourself, handsome," I respond with a grin. Just hearing his voice makes me all warm and tingly inside.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asks in a singsong voice.

"Just hanging out at a party," I reply, frowning quizzically at his strange tone.

"Ooh, cool; me, too!" he exclaims excitedly. "I didn't wanna go, but Alex made me."

"Alex?" I question, confused as to how our friend Alex could be at a party in Albuquerque when he goes to college in a different state (he ended up in San Francisco to be near Isabel).

"You know…my friend Alex!" he cries, as if it should be obvious. "She's from California."

Oh, yeah…I remember now. He told me all about the girl he met at the library and is now friends with, when we spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago.

"I love parties, don't you, Lizzie-Liz?" he exclaims suddenly.

I make a face down the phone as realisation crashes over me, "Max. Are you drunk?"

"No!" he gasps. "What do you think I am…oops…sorry, man."

I bite back a giggle when I hear a thump and then a muffled curse on the other end. Yep, he's drunk all right.

"Oh, okay, whatever you say, Max."

"I mean it, Liz! I'm perf…perfickly…I'm not drunk, okay?"

"Okay, you're not drunk," I humour him. "So, why are you calling?"

"Well," he starts in the same singsong tone. "I was watching everyone playing twister in the living room and I thought of you."

I smirk and roll my eyes. Okaayyy…if you say so, Max.

"So, I just had to call and tell you how much I love you."

Aww…he's so sweet.

"Well, thank you, Max. I love you, too," I tell him tenderly.

"Ooh, I have to go now," he cuts in abruptly. "They're doing Jell-O shots!"

"Okay…"

"Bye, Lizzie," he calls out and then hangs up.

"Bye…?" I shake my head at his crazy behaviour as I turn my phone off and slip it into my purse once more.

I turn to see Ben watching me in amusement.

"Boyfriend?" he asks.

"Fiancé," I correct. His mouth forms an 'oh' of understanding. "He's a little drunk tonight," I explain with an embarrassed shrug.

"Oh, so I guess that means it's not worth me trying to ask you out on a date Friday night, then?"

My eyes widen in surprise. He was going to ask me out?

"Um…as flattering as that would be, I'm very much attached," I explain, holding my left hand up to show him the evidence. "Sorry."

He shrugs, "Hey, it's okay. No worries, I'll just back off now."

"Sorry," I say again, feeling kinda bad for him.

We stand together awkwardly for a couple more minutes, until the tension seems to get too much for Ben and he quickly makes a beeline for the other side of the room.

I find myself eager to move also, and quickly made my way through the crowd, where I join my friends who are laughing and having fun in the middle of the dance floor.

If Max can have fun on Halloween, then I can too.

_TBC_…


	9. Chapter 6

**Part Six**

**Max**

_**Tuesday November 15**__**th**__** 2005**_

"Hey, Max; sorry I'm late," says Alex breathlessly, as she slides into the seat opposite me at the SUB coffee place. "Some guy tried to make me register to vote for…something or other…and I couldn't get away from him!"

"No problem," I smile as I wrap my fingers around the rapidly cooling coffee mug in front of me. It really is starting to get cold outside; winter is definitely on its way. "I got you a latte, but I think I might be cold by now," I tell her, indicating the other mug across from mine.

"Thanks," she says and reaches for the drink. She takes a sip and I watch her for a moment.

"So, you're looking nice this afternoon," I compliment. I mean it; she's dressed in smart jeans, a nice top with flowers on it, and heels. Her usually wavy hair is straight and shiny. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, nothing much," she shrugs. "I just got fed up of living in old jeans and plain tops all the time, you know? I felt like a change today."

"Oh, okay," I reply with a nod, although I'm a little confused. Why do all girls seem to think that being casual is boring? Even Liz does, to some extent, even though I tell her that it doesn't matter what she's wearing; she'll always be beautiful to me. I personally think both she and Alex look great in casual attire – it gives the impression that they are low-maintenance and laid back, unlike a lot of girls these days, and it's nice.

"So, what's going on with you?" she asks, placing her coffee cup down on the table.

"Not much right now," I reply. "You?"

"Same," she shrugs again.

This has become a habit of ours of late – meeting up in the student union a couple of afternoons a week for a coffee and a chat. It's nice to hang out with and talk to someone other than soccer players and professors for a change.

"So, it's Thanksgiving next week," says Alex next. "You doing anything special?"

"Not much," I tell her, before adding with a smile, "I'm going home for the holiday, though."

"Cool. Will Liz be coming back, too?"

I shake my head my smile dropping, "No, she won't. We're trying to save all the money we can this year and it costs so much to fly all the way across the country these days."

"Sorry to hear that," she smiles sympathetically, reaching over to squeeze my hand, which is still grasping my mug.

"How about you?" I ask to keep my mind off the fact that I won't get to see Liz next week. "You going home?"

"Nah," she dismisses with her hand. "My parents are going on a business-trip-slash-Thanksgiving-vacation to Chicago next week, so I'd be the only one there. I think I'll just hang around here for the holiday."

Alex's parents own a small computer business, although she tells me they're hoping to expand, hence the frequent business trips around the country.

"Hey, here's an idea," I say, after only a second's thought. "Why don't you come stay with me for the weekend? My sister and her boyfriend are flying home for the holiday, too. We'll be having a nice big celebration with family and friends; I'm sure my parents would be happy to put you up for a couple of days as well."

She makes a regretful face. "Max, I don't know if –"

I hold my hand up to stop her and add determinedly, "Actually, I'm not taking no for an answer. You shouldn't have to spend Thanksgiving all alone and miles from home. Come down to Roswell with me next Wednesday. I guarantee you'll have fun."

She looks doubtful for a minute, but I hold fast, my expression unwavering, and eventually she sighs and gives in.

"Okay, I'll spend Thanksgiving in Roswell."

"Great!" I grin.

"Thank you, Max," she says sincerely. "I'll admit that I wasn't looking forward to staying here with no one around."

"Aha, so the truth comes out!" I exclaim, triumphantly. I lean forward, "You're not going to regret this."

"I hope not," she chuckles briefly, before changing the subject. "So, what's on the agenda for this afternoon?"

"They're showing a series of old British gangster movies at the theatre downstairs this week," I inform her, knowing how much she likes crime films. "This afternoon, they're playing Get Carter. You wanna go?"

Her eyes light up and she straightens in her seat, "Ooh, I'd love to! What time is it on?"

I glance at my watch, "It starts in twenty minutes."

"Come on, then; let's get going," she says quickly and downs the rest of her latte, which I'm guessing, like mine, is now only lukewarm.

"Hang on a sec, let me finish my coffee," I say with a roll of my eyes.

She huffs and mumbles something about men always being so slow, but she still waits patiently for me and fifteen minutes later, we're sitting in the SUB movie theatre, waiting for the film to start.

* * *

After the movie, I say goodbye to Alex and head towards the Zimmerman library to get some research done for an English paper due next week. However, on my way across the courtyard area, I bump into John and Mark and I give the research a miss in favour of grabbing a green chilli double cheeseburger at Frontier restaurant on Central Avenue.

"So, what's up?" asks Mark as we grab our trays of food and take a seat beneath a large picture of John Wayne.

"Not much," I reply taking a large bite out of my burger. "Went to class, saw a movie with Alex in the SUB, and now I'm here. You?"

"Class, class and more class," he says tiredly.

I nod sympathetically and we eat in silence for a few minutes until John speaks up.

"Hey, Max, what's with this Alex chick?"

I frown, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been spending a lot of time with her lately…"

"And?" I question defensively, lowering the burger to my plate. "She's my friend."

"Don't you think you're being a little unfair to Liz?"

I shake my head, "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I get what you're saying."

"Look, man…are you sure you guys are just friends? Because, you know, I like Liz, and when she calls the apartment in the future, I don't want to have to start giving her excuses as to what you might be doing."

"No, you look," I start heatedly, insulted that he might think my friendship with Alex is anything but. "We're friends, okay? That's all; and I don't have to give excuses for that. Besides, one of Liz's best friends at Harvard is male and I don't have a problem with that, so neither should she have a problem with Alex."

He holds up his hands in surrender, "Okay, dude, if you're sure. But don't come crying to me when it all goes wrong."

"Don't worry, there's no danger of that," I retort, staring him down.

We remain like that, locked in a staring match for several seconds until Mark tries to break the tension.

"Hey, guys, come on. It's not worth it."

"Fine," I mutter, finally breaking eye contact. I shove my plate aside and stand up. "I'm outta here."

I send John an evil glare, before stalking out of the restaurant. I forgo the library idea completely and instead begin the fifteen-minute trek back to our apartment. I can't believe that John would have the nerve to suggest that Alex and I might…God! I could never do that to Liz.

However, the walk home gives me some time to think and I eventually realise that John is just trying to look out for me, to make sure that I don't do something stupid; but, as much as I appreciate his concern, I'm not a kid and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself – well, as long as I'm not getting incredibly drunk at Halloween parties and making stupid drunken phone calls to Liz, that is. Which, by the way, is something that I'll never live down. You know, I really need to stop making a fool of myself very soon, because I think Liz is starting to build up a very long list of embarrassing things that she can give to our friends for the wedding speeches.

When I reach the apartment, I head straight for my room. I dump my bag and jacket on the floor by the door and sink down onto the bed, resting one hand behind my head as the other reaches for the stereo remote. Thanking God that no one else is home, I turn it on and wait for a certain homemade compilation CD to begin. The strains of Sheryl Crow's _I Shall Believe_ filter through the speakers and I close my eyes as thoughts of Liz Parker invade my senses, temporarily erasing the events of the afternoon from my memory.

_TBC…_


	10. Interlude III

**Interlude Three**

_**Max**_

_**Present Day – September 2006**_

I let out an exhausted sigh as I let myself into the apartment and place my briefcase on the floor. I shrug my jacket off my shoulders and drop it over the arm of the couch as I make my way across the living room. One glance at the clock on the mantelpiece tells me that I'm late again…very late. I loosen my tie and unhook the top button of my shirt as I ponder how I'm going to make this up to Liz. I hate the thought of her spending her evenings at home, while I'm stuck in some dive after work, trying to impress the boss. In fact, I'm down right tired of it.

The first time the boss invited me to join him and the rest of the team for a drink after work, I politely turned him down and told him that I needed to get home to my wife. It seems that was a big mistake. Apparently, the majority of the big decisions get made over drinks in the local bar and by not attending regularly, I was putting my credibility on the line. So, for the last couple of weeks, I've been forced to sit in the smoky bar and watch my married colleagues discuss the merits of the various female patrons over several rounds of beer instead of making company decisions.

I hate it. In fact, I'm on the verge of quitting; although I know I can't. Liz isn't currently earning; she's having trouble finding work at the moment and although she's seriously considering graduate school, she'll have missed the fall semester deadlines by now; and if I quit, we won't have anything to live on. I'm stuck and I have no idea what to do about the situation in currently in.

It is with a sigh of regret that I open our bedroom door to find Liz already curled up in bed, snoring lightly (although, if you asked her, she'd swear point blank that you were making it up and that she does not snore). My heart gives a tug as I realise that I haven't even spoken to her today, save for the quick message I left on the answer machine earlier, which doesn't really count. I had to leave for work early to check over some papers and she was still asleep when I left. As I pull the door closed again and head for the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth, I decide that I have to do something; I have to either find a way to spend more time with my wife, or do something about the job, because I can't continue living like this for much longer. I just don't know how to fix it.

I finish washing up and head back to the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me as I pull off my tie. I walk round to my side of the bed, before dropping my pants and stepping out of them. I leave them in a heap on the floor while I pull off my shirt. Now wearing only my boxers, I slide into bed and lie on my back, trying to get comfortable. It doesn't work. Beside me, Liz shifts and turns over to face me.

"Hey, you're home," she murmurs softly, cuddling up to my side. "I've missed you today."

She leans up for a kiss, but quickly pulls away before our lips touch, a disgusted look on her face.

"Ugh, you stink!"

"I do?" I ask worriedly. "What of?"

"Cigarette smoke…and alcohol," she states. "It's gross."

"I'm sorry," I murmur softly, running my hand up and down her back.

"Max, you have to do something about this," she says despairingly, as she traces my bare chest with her fingers. "I don't think I can handle it much longer."

"I know, Lizzie," I agree softly. "I don't like it either."

"So, do something about it," she states matter-of-factly.

"What _can_ I do? I can't afford to jeopardise my career right now."

"God, Max!" she exclaims, pulling away from me. "It's not that hard. You just walk in there, tell your boss that you can't go for drinks after work anymore and you're sorted."

"Liz, it's not that simple –"

"Of course it is," she cries in exasperation. "You're just too much of a coward to speak up about it."

"But, this is my job, my career!" I protest loudly, tiredness making me cranky

"And I'm your wife!" she hisses, sitting up and turning away from me to get out of the bed. "Is your career so important to you that you can ignore that little fact? God!"

"Liz –" I start pleadingly.

"Save it, Max," she spits furiously as she grabs her robe and stalks out of the room, leaving me to stare at her retreating back.

"Shit!" I exclaim in frustration, as I fall back against the pillows, my hands cupping my forehead.

I remain in that position, angry with myself for putting Liz in this position, for not having the courage to put my foot down at work and for being a crappy husband lately, until the sound of Liz's quiet sobs filter in from the living room. Immediately, I scramble to my feet and head towards the sound, intent on making up for my stupid behaviour.

I find her on the end of the couch, her head in her hands.

"Liz," I say softly.

She doesn't move.

"Lizzie, please."

No response.

I kneel down in front of her and take her hands in mine, thereby forcing her to acknowledge me, although she keeps her eyes glued to her lap.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" I apologise gently. "I know this is hard for you; it's tough on me, too."

"Really?" she scoffs tearfully. "'Cause it doesn't exactly seem like it."

"What can I do to make this up to you?"

She raises her teary gaze to mine, her answer evident in her expression.

I nod. "Okay, okay, I'll talk to my boss," I give in, powerless to resist those gorgeous, pleading eyes of hers.

"Thank you," she whispers.

"I'm sorry," I repeat sincerely. "I never wanted to upset you. I'm sorry, okay?"

A ghost of a smile plays on her lips as she extracts one of her hands from mine and lifts it to cup my cheek. Our gazes lock and unconsciously, we move towards each other. The second our lips touch I'm lost. My tongue tangles with hers and I let go of her other hand so I can wind my fingers into her long, tousled hair.

Several moments later, Liz pulls away to look into my eyes again.

"You're forgiven," she murmurs. "_This_ time. But you have to promise me that you're going to do something soon, okay?"

"Okay," I nod firmly. "I promise."

"Thank you."

I stand up and hold my hand out to her, "You coming to bed now?"

She smiles again and slips her hand in mine, "Sure."

"Okay, let's go."

I pull her to her feet and together we move towards the bedroom.

As we settle into bed again, I hold out my arms to her.

"Come here?" I half-question, unsure of whether she'll accept the invitation.

She nods her consent and moves over to my side of the bed. I enfold her in my arms and hug her to me tightly.

"I love you so much," I whisper. "I hate when we fight."

"Me too," she murmurs, wrapping her arm around my waist and squeezing slightly. "I'm sorry I got mad at you. It's just…I get lonely when you're at work all day; I look forward to seeing you in the evenings, you know? And it's frustrating when you don't come home until late."

"I know," I tell her. "And it's hard for me as well. I look forward to spending time with you, too. It sucks that I can't be here with you for dinner every night. Look, I'll do what I can to get out of the after-work stuff, I promise."

Liz lifts her head and our eyes meet. She leans up and presses a soft kiss to my cheek, before covering my lips with hers. She shifts and I release my grip on her so she can move above me. She straddles my hips and places her hands on the pillow, one on either side of my head, to support herself as the kiss deepens. I slide my hands up over her hips and bring them to rest on her waist. We remain like that for a while, just kissing and caressing and generally making up. However, I can tell from her body language and responses to our embrace, that she's feeling just as tired as I am tonight, so I gently roll her so we're lying together side by side.

"Come on, let's get some rest," I whisper against her lips, before pulling away a little. "I think we're both too exhausted for anything else tonight."

"Okay," she smiles softly. "Goodnight, then, Max."

"Goodnight, Lizzie. See you in the morning."

_TBC_…


	11. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

_**Liz**_

_**Thursday November 24**__**th**__** 2005 – Thanksgiving**_

Well, it's almost eleven pm on Thanksgiving Day and where am I? Stuck in Massachusetts in an empty apartment, missing Max like crazy. You know, I was really hoping I'd be able to make it home for the holiday, but since my side of the family is the one paying for the majority of the wedding, and neither my parents nor I have the spare money for a flight home, I've had to stay here. After all, it would only have been for a couple of days and as much as I'd love to spend some time with my fiancé, I think I'd rather save the money for next summer. Plus, I'll be going back home for Christmas in a few weeks, so it's not like it's going to be months before I see him again.

Jack and Becca are visiting his parents in New York for the weekend and Emma and Laura have also gone back home for Thanksgiving, but luckily I'm not totally alone here this weekend; Grace's family live in nearby Boston, so she's spending tonight at her parents' house and then coming back to our apartment tomorrow. In fact, she invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner with her parents this evening, which was really great. Her family are lovely and made me feel very welcome.

Although, just thinking about families and how all of my own are enjoying themselves back in Roswell right now, makes me feel homesick. As I slip out of my tank top and jeans, pull on my pyjamas and climb into bed, a wave of loneliness flows through me and I think about how I could be in Max's arms at this very moment, instead of lying in a very empty double bed two thousand miles away.

My chin begins to tremble and I close my eyes tightly as if to stop the inevitable tears forming. It doesn't work. Instinctively, I reach for my cell phone and find Max's number. However, just as I get ready to press the 'call' button, the phone vibrates in my hand and begins blasting You and Me by Lifehouse – Max's own personal ringtone – in fact, he picked it out himself. A smile replaces my sad expression as I pick up the phone.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Lizzie," he greets happily. I close my eyes in relief at the sound of his voice.

"Hey, I was just about to call you," I murmur softly. "Happy Thanksgiving, Max. I miss you," I add.

"I miss you, too," he says emotionally. "So much." There's a brief pause, before, "So, what have you been up to today?"

"Grace invited me for dinner at her folks, but other than that, not much," I reply.

"Grace? She's the drama student, right? The one that came onto me for that dare?" he questions hesitantly.

I bite back a smile, "Yeah, that's her." Before he has a chance to dwell on that, I cut in with, "What about you? How was Thanksgiving in Roswell?"

"Oh, the usual," he says. "Your parents came round for dinner and our moms spent the whole time gossiping about the wedding. Isabel and Alex are here and so are Maria and Michael –"

"So, I'm the only one not at home, then," I murmur in disappointment, although I already know that Maria flew home from New York for the weekend.

"Well, yeah…but we all miss you, especially me; it's just not the same here without you," he says tenderly.

"For me, too."

"Hey, did I tell you that I invited my friend Alex down for Thanksgiving?"

"You did?" I frown slightly. So she's there and I'm not? Where's the fairness in that?

"Yeah, I mean...her parents are away, so she couldn't go home, and we have plenty of space here; so I suggested she come to Roswell with me."

The loneliness returns, along with a hint of jealousy, and my next words just slip out unintentionally, "You know, you're too nice for your own good sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks defensively. "She's my friend; I wasn't gonna just leave her alone in Albuquerque for four days."

"You're right, I'm sorry," I apologise hastily. What am I thinking? "I'm just upset that we're not together right now."

"Yeah, me too," he says, his tone softening. There's a pause as we simply enjoy each other's company, even if it's just over the phone.

"Hey," he murmurs a few moments later. "What are you doing right now?"

"I just got into bed, why?"

"Just wondering," he murmurs slyly. I can hear the slight change in his tone.

"Why, what are you doing?" I return with a grin.

"I'm in bed too," he replies.

"Okay…" I invite. I know what he's thinking, but I'm waiting for him to make the first move.

"So, what are you wearing?"

And there it is.

I glance down at my matching bunny-print pyjama top and pants. "Oh, I'm wearing my red lace bra and panties, you know, the ones you love," I lie.

There's silence on the other end, until, "No, you're not!" he exclaims. "You're in the fluffy bunnies, aren't you?"

Uh oh…busted! "No, I'm not!" I deny quickly, but I can't keep the pretence up for long. "Okay, you got me," I sigh. "I'm in the bunnies."

"Aha, I knew it," he chuckles.

"So, what are _you _wearing?" I return quickly.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" I gulp.

"Uh huh, absolutely nothing," he confirms.

"Huh," I exhale, my body beginning to heat up at his words.

"So, here I am," he starts, almost conversationally. "Completely naked and craving for your touch."

"Oh, God," I murmur, as a picture of him nude and aroused pops into my mind. My hand slips under my pyjama shirt, drifting up over my skin.

"I want you so much, Lizzie," he breathes.

"I want you, too, Max," I tell him. "It's been torture without you the last two months. I don't know how I'm gonna last 'til Christmas."

"Me either."

"Touch yourself for me, Max," I tell him eagerly. "I wanna feel like I'm close to you."

"Only if you touch yourself too," he groans.

"Oh, I already am," I murmur, my hand now cupping my breast.

"God," he gasps. There's a pause, before, "Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"Take your clothes off."

"Okay," I breathe. "Just give me a sec."

I gently place the phone on my bedside table and slide out of the bed. I pull my shirt over my head, letting it drop to the ground and then slip my pants over my hips. As they slide down my legs, a tingle of arousal and excitement runs through my body. I get back under the covers and pick up the phone again.

"Okay, I'm unclothed," I inform him softly.

"God, I wanna hold you," he murmurs. "I wanna feel your soft, smooth skin beneath my hands."

"Max…" I breathe, my eyes drifting closed at the sensations his words are invoking in me. "Tell me what you want."

"I want you to touch yourself, Liz."

"Where?" I question breathlessly.

"Your breasts, your nipples," he says. "Touch them for me."

Normally, I would be put off by dirty talk, but I haven't had any in weeks and I'm so turned on at this moment that I don't care anymore. My hand moves to my breast, squeezing and caressing it gently.

"God…" I breathe, shivering with excitement. "Stroke yourself for me, Max," I tell him.

"Whatever you say," he whispers, before emitting a low groan a second later.

"Yes…" I murmur, as my nipple responds to the ministrations of my fingers. I can't take it anymore; I have to do something to ease the ache between my legs. "I'm so wet, Max," I whisper as I slip my hand between my legs. "And it's because of you."

I hear his sharp intake of breath and it only turns me on more. I trace my clit lightly with my fingers as I listen to his ragged breathing on the other end.

"God, Liz, this feels so good."

"I know," I reply, my fingers now stroking my clit rhythmically, the pleasure building steadily. I close my eyes as I imagine that he's here with me and that I can actually reach out and touch him.

"Max," I say softly. "Tell me what you're doing."

"I'm…my hand is…Oh, God," he gasps. I already know what he's doing, I can hear his movements, but I need to hear him say it. "I'm imagining that it's your hand on me, making me want to explode."

"Me, too," I tell him breathlessly. "It's like your fingers are stroking me; making me see stars."

"Oh, God, Liz! It feels so good," he groans.

"I love you, Max," I gasp, my orgasm fast approaching. Suddenly, I'm very glad that Grace is at her parents' house tonight and can't hear what I'm doing.

"I love you," he gasps. "God, I can't…I'm coming, Liz…"

"Me too…Oh, God…yes…yes…" I mumble incoherently, the combination of his heated words and the movement of my fingers on my clit sending my body over the edge. As I ride out the waves of pleasure, I can vaguely hear the slowing of Max's breathing as he recovers from his climax, but I'm too caught up in my own to get any words out.

Eventually, the pleasure begins to die down and I sink back down into the mattress, my body relaxed and sated. Man, I haven't felt this good in a long time; it's just not the same without Max being present in some form or another, if you catch my drift. And judging by his next words, Max seems to agree.

"Man, that was good," he murmurs breathlessly. "I needed that."

"Me, too," I smile contentedly. "Although, actually being with you would have been so much better."

"I know," he says, a hint of regret in his voice. "It's not long now, though. Only four weeks to go."

"And they'll be the longest four weeks of my life," I inform him, as I try to stifle a yawn.

"You okay?" he questions.

"I'm fine; just tired," I tell him.

"Right, it's almost midnight there, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I agree. "Plus, you just wore me out, mister."

"And you've just worn me out," he returns. "So we're even."

I yawn again.

"Okay, I'm gonna let you get some sleep now. Happy Thanksgiving, Liz."

"Happy Thanksgiving," I return.

"And sweet dreams," he adds.

"Oh, they'll definitely be sweet after that," I murmur, as I struggle to keep my eyes open.

"Bye, Liz…I love you."

"Love you, too," I whisper. "Bye, Max."

He hangs up and I sleepily press the 'end call' button on my phone, letting it slip from my fingers as sleep overtakes my body.

Only four more weeks to go…

_TBC_…


	12. Chapter 8

**Part Eight**

_**Max**_

_**Saturday 24**__**th**__** December 2005**_

"Okay, do you have everything?" I ask, for about the tenth time in the last thirty minutes.

"Yes, Max. I have everything," replies Alex impatiently. "Geez, are you always this anal?"

"No," I retort, feigning annoyance. Actually, yes I am, but she doesn't need to know that. "I just wanna make sure you haven't forgotten anything before we leave for the airport."

"Yeah, okay," she says, in a 'whatever you say' tone. "Look, I really am ready… so can we go now?"

"Sure," I surrender finally, not willing to get into an argument about it. "Let's go."

I grab her bags and carry them down to the jeep. Alex is flying back home for the Christmas vacation and I'm giving her a ride to the airport… Okay, I'll be honest here; I do actually have an ulterior motive for offering her a lift. Liz is flying in from Boston this afternoon and it just so happens that her plane lands about an hour before Alex leaves, so I'm hoping to finally introduce the two of them. Alex has become a really good friend lately and I'm anxious for Liz to meet her.

We arrive at the airport in good time and the check-in line for Alex's flight is really short; so we end up in the arrivals lounge, each armed with a cup of coffee, while we wait for Liz to get in. I sit anxiously in one of the airport chairs, my foot tapping, as I count down the minutes until she gets here. It's been over three months since I've so much as laid eyes on Liz Parker and now the anticipation is just becoming too much. I need to see her, and hold her, and make love to her. I can't stand the waiting any longer. Alex, on the other hand, seems to be wandering aimlessly around the section of chairs I'm currently sitting in. I watch her curiously; she seems nervous. I catch her arm as she walks past me for probably the fifteenth time. She looks down at me in surprise.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask seriously.

An uncomfortable look appears on her face and she glances away before replying unconvincingly, "Nothing."

I shoot her a look and she sighs, sinking into the seat beside me, her hands in her lap.

"It's just…" she starts, her gaze fixed on her hands. "What if she doesn't like me, Max?"

"Who, Liz?" I ask, my eyes widening in surprise. "What are you talking about? She's gonna love you."

"Are you sure?" she asks worriedly, her gaze darting around the arrivals lounge uneasily. "I mean she's such a huge part of your life and you're one of my best friends. I'd hate it if the two of us didn't get along and she decided that she didn't want you and me to be friends anymore." She stops for a moment to take a deep breath, "God, you're like one of the few people I've met here who I can really be myself around. I don't think I could stand it if we couldn't hang out anymore. And–"

"Hey," I cut her off quickly. "That's not gonna happen; trust me. I know Liz and she is not the kind of person to get territorial over my friends."

"But, still –" she continues, looking at me now.

"Look," I tell her firmly. "Even if, for some completely bizarre reason, she decided she didn't like you, she's not petty enough to do anything to stop my friendship with you. Our relationship isn't like that; she doesn't have a say in which people I choose to be my friends, just like I don't call her on her choices. We respect each other too much for that."

She nods, taking that in. I reach over and give her arm a little squeeze.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay," she replies with a small smile.

We sit together in silence on the uncomfortable airport seats for several more minutes, until I glance up at the arrivals screen to see Liz's flight number flashing. She's landed!

"Hey," I nudge Alex. "Liz's flight's just arrived. Let's go wait for her over there," I suggest, pointing to the gangway from which Liz will be appearing in a few minutes.

"Sure," she agrees and we make our way over to the waiting area.

I stand there anxiously, intently watching the corridor and keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of my fiancée. I almost can't believe that I'm finally going to see her again; but finally, after what seems like forever, I see the top of her dark head and my stomach gives a lurch. She doesn't see me at first, her nose buried in her purse, presumably looking for something in there, but I keep my gaze fixed on her and eventually she looks up.

Our eyes meet and I watch as a grin spreads across her beautiful features; it is a huge, ecstatic smile that no doubt matches the one on my own face. Her walking pace speeds up as she approaches, until she's practically running by the time she reaches me. I open my arms to her in invitation and she just about flings herself at me, her arms coming around my neck, holding me tightly as I lift her off the ground. I close my eyes, revelling in the feel of her warm body pressed up against mine.

We stay like that for several moments, just hugging each other tightly, before my lips find hers and I pour all the built-up emotion from the last few months into our embrace. I begin to lose track of time as we continue to kiss; and it is only when the sound of a throat clearing beside me filters through my Liz-haze, that I remember that Alex is here. It takes all my willpower to tear my lips from Liz's and turn to face her.

Alex has moved away a little, blushing uncomfortably and looking around as if she trying to ignore the embarrassing display of affection right in front of her. My desire quickly dissipates as reality comes crashing in and I realise where we are. I send Alex an embarrassed, apologetic glance before returning my gaze to my fiancée's flushed face.

"Hi," I whisper with a smile.

"Hi, yourself," she returns affectionately.

"Um, hey," I start, letting my arms fall from her waist as I slip my hand into hers. "There's someone I'd like you meet," I tell her, with a nod in Alex's direction. "Liz, this is Alex."

"Oh, um… hi," Liz stutters as she catches a glimpse of my blonde friend behind her. "Sorry about that," she flushes with embarrassment as she turns fully and holds her hand out to Alex. "It's great to finally meet you. I'm Liz."

Alex shakes Liz's hand warmly. "It's great to meet you too, Liz. I've heard all about you," she replies, sending a quick glance in my direction.

"That sounds slightly ominous," chuckles Liz, looking up at me. "Geez, what have you been telling her, Evans?"

"Nothing," I say quickly, with a smirk. "Nothing at all."

"Only good things," agrees Alex, her eyes smiling. "I promise."

Liz lets out a sigh of relief, "Well, that's good to know."

"Hey, look," starts Alex, as she glances at her watch. "My flight leaves soon; I'd better go through to the departure lounge."

"Okay," I say with a smile.

"It really was good to meet you, Liz," she says sincerely, before turning to me.

"Well, I guess I'll see you next year then, Max. Merry Christmas."

She leans up for a goodbye hug and I willingly oblige, sliding my arms around her. Just before she lets go, she whispers in my ear,

"She's great, Max. Hang on to her, okay?"

"Don't worry, I will," I assure her as move back from her. "Have a safe trip home, okay?"

"I will," she smiles, hoisting her carry-on bag over her shoulder as she turns to leave. "Bye, Liz; bye Max."

"Bye," calls Liz, giving her a small wave. I wait until she's disappeared from sight before I turn my attention back to Liz once more.

"So," I grin down at her, "where were we?"

Liz moves to stand in front of me once more and rises up on her tiptoes.

"Just about here, I think," she murmurs, our lips a hair's breadth apart. My gaze flickers to her mouth for merely a second before I fuse my lips to hers and get lost in her.

"I missed… you… so much," I mutter between kisses.

"I missed you too," she returns, pulling away to look up at me sincerely. "I'm so glad to be back."

I smile happily, taking her hand again, "Come on, let's go get your luggage and go home."

* * *

We've been on the road for almost two hours already, but I've barely even noticed the time. I just can't seem to keep my eyes off Liz and it's affecting my ability to drive properly. Take now, for example: she's got her feet propped up on the dashboard, her nose buried in a book – a romance novel, no doubt. Her hair has gotten even longer since I last saw her, it almost reaches her waist now, and it's flowing over her shoulders in a way that makes me just want to reach out and run my fingers through it. I shiver as I remember how it feels to have those silky strands brush against my skin when we're making love…

"Max…Max, you're doing it again!" her amused giggle breaks me out of my reverie. I shake my head and look over at her. She's watching me with a smirk.

"Doing what?" I ask innocently.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, and just so you know, it's not gonna happen, okay? So you can just go back to concentrating on driving instead of imagining me naked."

"What?" I cough, her blunt words hitting the mark. "I wasn't…" I trail off helplessly. Of course I was, and she knows it.

"Yes, you were," she grins smugly.

I sigh, "Okay, you got me. But, hey, it's not my fault. I'm a guy, okay? And I haven't had any for more than three months! I'm desperate here, Lizzie. It's complete torture having you right here next to me and not being able to touch you."

"Aww, you poor baby," she pouts, lifting her hand to stroke my cheek. I close my eyes briefly, before forcing myself to concentrate on the road.

"Liz," I mutter through gritted teeth, my control rapidly slipping away. "You're not helping here."

She sighs, letting her hand drop to her side, "Fine, pull over."

"Okay, then," I reply enthusiastically, making a quick exit onto the desert gravel at the side of the road. I pull up, switch the engine off and turn to her intent on ravaging her completely. However, just as my hands reach out to touch her, she stops me.

"Whoa, hold it right there," she commands. "What are you doing?"

"Aww, come on, Lizzie," I whine, lowering my hands to my sides. "I need to – I want – God, help me out here, please?"

"You think that's why we pulled over? So you and I could go at it right here in the jeep?" she cries incredulously. "Max, in case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of the desert and it's only thirty degrees outside!"

I frown in disappointment, "So, what did we stop for, then?"

"We stopped because I'm taking over the driving now," she huffs. "Obviously, you can't concentrate today, and I would like to get home in one piece."

"But –" I protest, my mouth falling open.

"Come on, shift your ass," she instructs.

"Fine," I exhale crossly, as I get out of the driver's seat and walk round to the other side.

"Thank you," she says as I slide into the passenger seat. "And hey, if you can get through the next few hours, I'll definitely make it up to you later," she smirks.

All I can say is, "You'd better," before she pulls out into the traffic and we continue on towards Roswell.

_TBC_…


	13. Interlude IV

Interlude Four

_**Liz**_

_**Present Day – September 2006**_

"Shit!" I exclaim, as the long box slides back down the stairs for the second time this morning. "Stupid table."

I went furniture shopping this morning and bought a gorgeous wooden coffee table for our living room. Unfortunately, it comes flat-packed in this huge box and I stupidly told the delivery guy that I would be able to carry it up the stairs to the apartment myself. Bad idea. I've been trying unsuccessfully to manoeuvre it up the first flight of stairs for the last thirty minutes and every time I get halfway up, it slides right back down to the bottom again.

I sink down to the nearest step, prop my elbows up on my knees and rest my chin on my hands, as I stare at the box woefully, until a cheerful voice interrupts my annoyed glare at the table

"Hey, do you need any help?"

I look up to find a petite woman in her mid-twenties with shoulder-length dark hair and soft green-blue eyes standing in the doorway of the apartment to my left.

"Hi, I'm Julie," she says, walking towards me, her hand held out. "I live just across the hall in1B," she elaborates, nodding towards her apartment door. I smile and shake her hand.

"Liz Par…Evans," I introduce myself.

"Par-Evans?" she questions with a grin.

"No, just Evans," I chuckle. "I used to be Parker but I've just got married. I'm still getting used the new name."

"Ah," she says in understanding. "Then I guess that tall, dark and handsome man I've seen leaving for work early in the mornings must be your husband?"

"Yeah, he is," I smile. "His name is Max."

"Max, huh? It suits him," she grins and I grin back. "So, anyway, you looked like you were struggling out here. Can I help at all?"

"That would be great," I tell her. "Thanks."

"No problem," Julie replies. "How about we take one end each and carry the box up together?"

"Okay, great."

We each grab an end and begin carrying the large box up the stairs.

"What apartment are you in," asks Julie, when we reach the top of the first flight.

"Oh, um…3C," I tell her sheepishly. "We're on the third floor."

She raises an eyebrow, but then smiles, "Well, let's keep going then; the quicker we move, the quicker we'll get up there."

Five minutes later, the box containing the table is on my living room floor and Julie and I are relaxing on the couch.

"Thanks, for the help," I say sincerely.

"No problem; I'm happy to help," she smiles.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I offer. "We have tea, coffee, juice, water, beer…if you're so inclined…"

"A coffee would be great, thanks."

I move to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and open up a packet of cookies. When I return to the living room a few minutes later, I find Julie kneeling on the floor with the box open, sorting through the table legs.

"Hey," she grins, noticing me in the doorway. "Since I was here, I thought I could help you put it up."

"Oh, okay," I reply in surprise, crossing the room to place the tray carrying the mugs and cookies on the floor next to the couch. I hadn't really expected her to offer any more help, but I was wondering how I'd be able to assemble it by myself. See, I want to have it ready by the time Max gets home.

As we work on building the coffee table, we chat about various things. Julie tells me how she lives with her long-term boyfriend, Kevin, but that she recently lost her job and has been getting lonely on her own in the apartment while he's out at work. I commiserate with her about the loneliness part, explaining that I also get pretty bored here on my own during the day. As we talk, I realise how much I need to find _something_ to do with my time. After all, if I wanted to enrol in grad school, I can't do it for another 3 months and even then, the cost of the classes is way too high for us to afford; so maybe I ought to get a job. I mention this to Julie, and she comes up with a great idea, to which I readily agree: we should get together and go job-hunting together.

We finish assembling the table and are still talking eagerly about job possibilities and ideas when Max gets home a couple of hours later. When he walks in, he looks pretty surprised to see Julie sitting on the couch with me, so I introduce them.

"Hey, Max. This is Julie. She lives downstairs in apartment 1B." I inform him. "Julie, this is my husband, Max."

With a slight frown, Max briefly glances from me, to the new coffee table, before relaxing his expression and turning to face Julie with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Julie," he says, reaching out to shake her hand.

"You, too, Max," she replies with a smile, before releasing his hand. "Actually, Liz, I'd better get going now; Kevin will be home from work soon."

"Okay," I say, getting up to show her to the door. "Thanks again for all your help."

"No worries," she replies. "And we'll get together soon, okay?"

"Sure, I'm looking forward to it."

We say goodbye and she heads down to her apartment. I close the door and turn back to face Max, only to find him standing next to the couch, his gaze fixed on the new table.

"So, how was your day?" I ask softly as I come to stand next to him.

"It was alright," he replies distractedly. "Liz, what is this?"

"What is what?" I ask quizzically, but then I see what he's pointing to. "Oh, the table? I saw it in this little furniture store this morning and I realised we didn't have a coffee table yet, so I bought it. Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Oh, um nothing," he mutters. "It's just…do we really need it?"

I scoff, "Max, you're the one who's been complaining that we don't have anywhere to put your coffee mugs or plates of food when we're sitting on the couch. Of course we need it."

He sighs, "Yeah, I guess we do. But, it wasn't too expensive, was it?"

"It wasn't that much," I assure him. "In fact, it was the cheapest one I could find. And come on, you have to admit that it's a nice table."

He breaks into a smile, "You know what? I like it, I really do. How about we test it out?"

"Test it out?" I question. But I don't have to wait long for the answer, because before I know it, he's seated for the sofa, TV remote in hand and has placed his feet on the edge of the newly erected table. "Ah, there we go," he looks up at me in satisfaction. "It's perfect."

I roll my eyes, but join him on the couch regardless and we sit together, with our feet propped up on the table and the TV switched to MTV, for several moments until Max turns to me and places a soft kiss to my lips.

"Sorry," he says when he pulls away, "I didn't get to do that when I got in."

"S'okay," I murmur, stroking his slightly stubbly cheek with my fingers as I lean in for another kiss.

"Oh, hey," he says as we pull apart. "I got a call from Alex today. She's been offered a job in Albuquerque and she's moving back here from California next week."

"Really?" I smile, turning to face him fully. "That's great."

Granted, I haven't spent much time with Alex in the past, so I don't know her all that well, but she's one of Max's good friends so I'm happy for her.

"Yeah, so I thought maybe we could invite her round for dinner sometime? You know, a sort of 'welcome back to New Mexico' thing. What do you think?"

"Sound's good," I reply.

"Okay, cool. I call her tomorrow and invite her."

"Tomorrow," I ask. "Why not now?"

"Because, now," he murmurs, snaking his arms around my waist and pulling me onto his lap. "Now, I want to make love to my wife."

He kisses me hungrily and I shiver with anticipation.

"Oh, well in that case," I whisper against his lips. "Call her tomorrow, by all means."

_TBC_…


	14. Chapter 9

**Part Nine**

_**Liz **_

_**Sunday December 25**__**th**__** 2005**_

I shift against the pillows, snuggling further into the warm cocoon that surrounds me, as I hover somewhere between asleep and awake. My arms tighten around the solid entity beside me and I let out a contented sigh when it moves slightly, encasing me further into its protection. Although my brain is still fuzzy from sleep, I am just conscious enough to realise where I am and whom I'm with. After fourteen long weeks of waiting and pining, I'm finally back in my old bedroom in Roswell, curled up with the love of my life, Max Evans, whom I just spent almost the entire night making love with.

I am in heaven.

"Mmm," he murmurs contentedly beside me, his forehead gently nuzzling my neck.

"Morning," I whisper against his ear.

He shifts, still mostly asleep and a lazy smile appears on his lips. I can't resist him and lean up to place a whisper of a kiss on those gorgeous full lips. He looks so peaceful and for a moment, I wish we could just stay like this, wrapped up in each other's arms for the entire day. But, as I fully enter the conscious world, I realise there's no way that's gonna happen. Why? Because it's Christmas morning and I'm sure that any minute now, my mom will be up and about in the kitchen, preparing the Christmas dinner.

"Merry Christmas," I murmur, this time pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Mmm," he mutters again, tightening his arms around me as he slowly opens his eyes. "Morning," he add; his smile becoming even wider as he notices that I'm looking up at him. "Merry Christmas to you, too."

We share a quick grin, before he swoops down and captures my lips in a passion-filled embrace. I cling to him as he shifts until I'm lying below him, his naked torso pressing warmly against my own bare skin. As we continue to kiss, I feel him stir to life against my thigh and I let out a sigh at how good it feels to be with him again. Max lets out a low groan when I press my body closer to him and he moves until I'm cradling his hips between my thighs.

"God, Liz," he whispers against my lips as he gently rotates his hips, eliciting a gasp from me. "I love you."

However, just as he begins to enter me, a knock at the door startles us out of our passion-induced haze.

"Lizzie, Max, are you guys up yet?" It's my mom.

Max lets his head fall to my chest as he tries to get himself under control.

"Not quite, Mom," I call back, desperately hoping that I don't sound out of breath. "We both have to take showers and get ready. Give us about half an hour, okay?"

"Okay, Lizzie, but don't take too long, okay? Your dad's anxious to get on with the festivities."

"Okay, Mom."

I wait for her footsteps to recede before turning my attention back to Max. He lifts his head from my chest to look up at me briefly before rolling onto his back.

"Well, that was definitely a mood killer."

"You can say that again," I chuckle, before sighing resignedly and sitting up, "So, we'd better get up, then."

He nods, "Why don't you take the first shower?"

I turn to stare at him incredulously, "The _first_ shower?" I stand up, holding my hand out to him as I shake my head. "I don't think so; you're coming with me, mister."

His eyes widen. "Liz, I can't – your parents are right out there," he protests, jerking his head towards the door.

"So? I'll be quiet if you can," I tell him with a smirk.

"Liz, I –"

"Come on," I say, grabbing his hand and pulling him up into a sitting position.

He sighs despairingly, but stands up nonetheless and I know I've won. I suck in a breath at the sight of him standing there, naked and aroused and I can't stop myself from dragging him right into the bathroom.

* * *

"It's beautiful up there, isn't it?" murmurs Max from behind me, as we lie curled up together on the chaise longue out on my balcony, staring at the stars.

"Yeah, it really is," I agree, snuggling closer to him as I pull the thick blanket further up around us. "But it's freezing out here."

"Well, then, how about I warm you up?" he murmurs in my ear, his hands roaming beneath the blanket to cup my breasts over the warm, knitted sweater I'm wearing – a Christmas present from my mom. He lowers his head to place small, wet kisses along my neck. I shiver, but not from the cold.

"As wonderful as that would be," I whisper breathily. "My mom is going to be bringing us hot chocolate in about two minutes, and I don't think she's gonna want to know just how you intend on warming me up."

He sighs, lowering his wandering hands to my stomach. "You know, I can't wait until we have a place of our own and I can seduce you anytime I want, without fear of interruptions."

"Yeah, me too," I agree, just as my mom appears at my bedroom window with a tray.

Reluctantly, I slide out from under the blanket, take the tray from my mom and thank her for the drinks. She heads back towards the living room and I hand Max a steaming mug of cocoa, before settling against him once again.

"So, have you enjoyed Christmas 2005?" he asks a few moments later.

"Yeah, I have," I reply, a smile playing on my lips. "Although I could have done without the very unsubtle hints from both our moms about when we're gonna make them proud grandparents."

Behind me, Max groans, "Yeah, I know what you mean. God, we're still in college and we're not even married yet – there'll be plenty of time for that in the future."

"Yeah," I agree absently, a thoughtful expression crossing my face.

"Hey, what is it?" Max asks then.

"I was just thinking…we've never really talked about kids before."

"No, we haven't," he says slowly. "Is that something you want to talk about?"

"No, not… um… well," I stutter, unable to get the words out. I take a deep breath and start again, "I'm not saying I want to have babies right now or anything; but it just occurred to me that we haven't ever sat down and discussed if we'd like to have children in the future."

"Okay," he says, sounding a little more relaxed this time. "So, would you? Like to have kids, I mean?"

I smile, letting my head fall back against his shoulder. "Yeah, I would," I tell him dreamily. "I've always imagined that we would have one of each: a boy and a girl. What about you?"

"Yeah, I definitely want kids," he tells me enthusiastically. "I'd love to have a boy, so I can teach him manly things like how to play football and baseball." I chuckle; he's such a guy sometimes. "But, on the other hand, I can just picture a beautiful little girl with your eyes and your hair, who I could love and protect for the rest of my life."

"So, I guess having one of each would be the ideal situation, then," I smile, turning my head towards him.

"Oh, yes. Definitely," he murmurs, his gaze dropping to my mouth.

I realise his intentions and lean up to fuse my lips with his in a tender kiss.

"I'm so glad you're here," whispers Max when we eventually pull apart.

"Me, too," I tell him. "I hated being apart from you for so long. Especially after what we went through last year."

"I know; I hated it too. But you're here now and I wouldn't change that for the world."

"Me either; but Max, we've still got an entire semester to get through as well as months of wedding planning. I don't know how we're gonna manage all that when we're not even living in the same state."

"Don't you worry," he murmurs, his arms tightening around me. "We'll figure everything out and you know our parents are willing to help out with anything they can."

"I know."

"Hey, I've got an idea. How about tomorrow we make a list of what we need to do, like choosing the flowers and the invitations, or the cake or whatever, and then we can get them done together before you go back to Massachusetts?"

"Okay," I relax. "That would be great. Thank you."

"No problem," he returns softly. "So, it's getting late; maybe we should get going?"

"Okay, let me just tell Mom and Dad that we're off," I say, as we starting sitting up and gathering the blankets and things.

Since Max and I stayed here last night, we'll be spending tonight at his parents' house. We couldn't decide on where to spend Christmas, so we compromised on spending Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day at mine, and then tonight and tomorrow at his house with the Evans'. You know, it's a good thing our families are such good friends and agreed to this, because there's no way I am not going to sleep next to Max now that I'm home.

Even though we've only got three weeks together, I'll definitely be making the most of it.

_TBC_…


	15. Chapter 10

**Part Ten**

_**Max**_

_**Saturday December 31**__**st**__** 2005**_

"Hey, having fun?" I ask Liz as I take a seat next to her in the booth. I slip an arm around her and she leans her head against my shoulder.

"Yeah," she smiles, her gaze fixed on her dad, who is making alien-themed cocktails over at the counter. "Well, about as much fun as you can have at an over-60's New Year's party."

"It's not so bad," I say. "I think it's nice that the old folks have something fun to do on New Year's."

Liz makes a face, "But it's so… I don't know; it's just not what I had in mind for New Year's, that's all."

"Oh, and what did you have in mind?" I ask her.

"Oh, you know," she turns her head to look up at me. "Something a little more private, perhaps."

"Private, huh?" I think I like the sound of that. "Well, here's a suggestion for you: if you can stick this out until the whole fake midnight at ten-thirty thing, we'll go back to my parents' house and have some fun."

"Really?" she grins slyly. "Your mom and dad won't mind?"

"Yep, really," I confirm, leaning down for a quick kiss. "They're out of town tonight, remember? And Isabel and Alex are spending the night at the Whitmans'. We'll have the house to all ourselves until tomorrow afternoon."

"I can't wait," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to my lips as her hand squeezes my thigh suggestively. I shift uncomfortably, suddenly glad that we're sitting down and that no one can see the effect Liz's hand is having on me.

"Liz?" I try, but she's too busy nibbling on my neck to notice that I'm trying to get her attention. "Liz? Hey…" I say again, this time moving away slightly.

"What?" she murmurs, pulling away slightly.

"You have to stop, okay? We still have almost an hour to get through."

"Oh, sorry," she smirks, removing her hand from my thigh. "I wouldn't want to wear you out before we got started."

"Oh, ha, ha," I return softly, looking down at her with a smile.

As I lean in for a quick kiss, my cell phone starts ringing and I send her an apologetic shrug before answering.

"Hey, Max," comes the cheerful voice on the other end. "Happy New Year!"

"_Alexandra_, hi!" I stress with a smile. "Happy New Year to you, too."

"So, what're you up to tonight?"

"Just hanging out at the party Liz's parents throw every year," I tell her, with a quick grin in my fiancées direction, which she returns. "How's it going in San Diego?"

"Oh, same old, same old; my parents are arguing over the food and my brother is glued to his PSP – what a fun night!"

"Yeah, sounds like it," I chuckle. "So, you're calling pretty early, aren't you? It's only eight-thirty in California."

"Yeah, it is, but chances are I'm going to be so drunk later on that I'll forget to call you, so I'm going it now."

"Oh, okay," I agree with a puzzled frown.

"So, anyway," she says then, "I was just calling to wish you a Happy New Year and…oh God, I think something's burning in the kitchen! Max, I gotta go…see you back at school, okay?"

"Um, sure," I agree, confused by the sudden turn of the conversation.

"Okay, bye," says Alex quickly.

"By–" I start, but she's already hung up. I simply stare at the phone in my hand, until Liz nudges me.

"So, that was Alex, huh?"

"Yeah, " I reply, looking up at her now.

"What did she want?"

"Oh, um…she was just ringing to wish me happy holidays, but apparently her parents were on the verge of burning the house down as they cooked, so she had to go."

"Oh, okay," she murmurs, wearing the same 'what a strange girl' expression I was a moment ago.

I slip my arm around her shoulder and we sit together in silence for a minute or two as we watch everyone having fun around us. Liz's mom and dad are talking to Maria's mom and Sheriff Valenti over by the kitchen and Kyle Valenti, the sheriff's son and Liz's ex, is apparently doing his best to chat up a group of girls in the corner by the cash register. At the counter, Maria and Michael seem to be involved in one of their usual arguments, while Alex and Isabel stand next to them awkwardly.

Out of the blue, a few minutes later, the band in the corner of the restaurant begins playing the old Drifter's song, Save the Last Dance, and several of the older couples get up to dance.

"Hey, you wanna dance?" I offer, glancing down at Liz.

"Sure," she grins.

I slide out of the booth and hold my hand out to her in invitation. She slips her small hand in mine and stands up. We make our way over to the centre of the Crashdown, where the tables have been cleared to form a small dance floor, and I take her in my arms as we begin to move in time with the music. I couldn't tell you how long we dance for, but let's just say that before I know it, Liz's dad is announcing that it's time to start counting down to midnight (well, ten-thirty for everyone under the age of sixty). Liz and I stand with Isabel, Alex, Maria and Michael as we welcome in the (fake) New Year and watch the Parkers say goodnight to all the guests. Pretty soon, the Crashdown is empty save for the six of us, and our families (apart from my parents, obviously).

I slip one of my hands into one of Liz's, entwining my fingers with hers and giving a light squeeze – a subtle suggestion that maybe we should head back to my parents' house. She tightens her grip and turns her head slightly to send an indulgent smile my way. We say quick goodbyes to everyone, including Alex and Isabel, who are looking cosy together in one of the booths, and Maria and Michael, who are somehow managing to slow dance and argue at the same time, and then drive back home.

* * *

"Oh, God," she cries as I push her up against the closed front door, my hands holding her arms above her head as I kiss a wet trail down her neck.

She arches her back, pressing her chest against mine and I falter slightly. But then I feel her hands on my back, holding me to her and I resume my eager kisses. I let go of her arms and allow my hands to slide down to cup her face as I bring my lips up to hers. She responds eagerly, her mouth opening in invitation, and our tongues meet, dancing together as we get lost in our passion.

At first, I feel perfectly content to stay like this, kissing her, feeling her, and simply enjoying her, but Liz obviously has other ideas, because suddenly I feel her warm hands on my butt, squeezing urgently. A low moan escapes my lips and gets lost in her mouth as I lower my hands, brushing my fingers over her breasts, before grasping her thighs with my hands. I urge her to wrap her legs around me and she eagerly jumps up, moving her hands to my shoulders as her legs settle around my waist. We both make a small, indescribable sound when our lower bodies become intimately acquainted and then I can stand it no longer. I have to have her. Now.

I move away from the wall, Liz still in my arms and stumble towards the stairs. However, I soon discover that my legs aren't gonna hold out for long and I change my mind, instead heading for the living room. No longer in control of my ability to walk, I sink down onto the couch so that Liz is straddling my hips and we continue our frantic, passionate kisses. I run my hands down the sides of her legs and then up under her skirt, coming to rest on her inner thighs. She sighs into my mouth and I feel myself getting harder at the throaty sound. I let my hands gently massage her skin and the sigh becomes a moan.

I suck in a sharp breath as Liz's warm fingers find their way beneath the hem of my shirt and slid upwards over my ribs. She smiles against my mouth as she removes her hands and then begins unbuttoning the shirt. Slowly, she peels the material from my shoulders and I lift my arms from her thighs to shrug out of it. She presses her hands flat against my chest, gently moving them up and down, causing my head to fall back against the back of the couch, effectively breaking our kiss.

She doesn't seem to mind, however, because she shoots me a lust-filled glance before kissing her way down my neck (much like I did earlier) and then caressing my upper chest with her tongue. I shiver as her mouth covers first my left nipple and then my right, manipulating each of them with her tongue until I'm gasping for air. I open my eyes and lift my head, as my hands reach for her sparkly top and I slip my fingers beneath the silky material. I pull it over her head, sliding my hands along her warm skin as I do so.

"Max," she murmurs against my chest as I reach behind her to unhook her black, lacy bra and then discard it on the floor, along with her top. I cup her bare breasts in my hands, massaging them gently as she groans and grinds her lower body into mine insistently.

"God, Liz," I mutter at the delicious friction she's causing between us.

Liz kisses her way back up to my lips and grins mischievously before climbing off my lap. I make a sound of protest and try to grab her waist to prevent her from moving, but she swats my hands away. She stands before me in her knee-length skirt and high heels, and then holds my gaze as she slides her skirt over her hips and steps out of it. I think I stop breathing at the sight of her. She's wearing _stockings_…and a scrap of see-through black lace that I assume is supposed to be a thong…and stiletto heels.

Oh God!

I gulp, painfully aware of the effect she is having on my body. She moves to step out of the shoes, but I hold up a hand to stop her.

"No, don't," I murmur. "Leave them on."

She grins, "Okay."

I nod in satisfaction and reach for her again, but she steps away with a shake of her head and instead moves to kneel in front of me, between my parted legs.

"Liz, what are you –?"

"Shh," she says, briefly pressing a finger against my lips, before turning her attention to my pants.

I hold my breath as she carefully unbuckles my belt and then lowers the zipper of my trousers. She urges my hips upwards and I eagerly comply, allowing her to slide my pants down my legs. She leans down and first pulls off my shoes and socks, and then my pants. And then I'm sitting before her, naked apart from black cotton boxers, which do nothing to hide my arousal for her.

My eyes close once more and a moan escapes my lips as she closes her hand around me over the material and begins to stroke.

"Oh, God," I gasp. "Liz, please…I need…"

She must know what I want (although I sure as hell don't) because my boxers are suddenly no more, and her lips are on me, licking and sucking while her hand strokes and cups me.

"God, yes…" I mutter incoherently, my body edging closer and closer to completion.

But, as quickly as it began, her touch ceases and my eyes fly open in question. She smirks as she gets up and hooks her thumbs into her thong, lowering it over her hips. My mouth hangs open as she now stands before me in nothing but thigh-high stockings and high-heels.

"Liz…"

She raises her hands to her breasts, cupping them, running her thumbs across her erect nipples. But then I gulp again when her fingers dance lower across her belly and then dip between her legs. Her eyes slide closed and a low moan escapes her lips. I can't take it any longer. I sit up and grab her hips with my fingers, pulling her to me. Her eyes fly open and she grins down at me as her legs straddle my hips once again, trapping my now throbbing erection between our bodies.

Liz lifts my hands from her hips and links her fingers with mine as she raises her body and prepares to lower her body. My eyes widen as something occurs to me.

"Wait, stop," I whisper.

She frowns quizzically.

"I need a condom," I tell her urgently.

She just looks at me.

"Max, are you seriously gonna tell me that right now you have the ability to go all the way upstairs to grab protection?"

Okay, so she has a point; but like I've told her before, I don't want to make a habit of only relying on the pill for protection.

"Liz, we can't keep doing this," I tell her tightly, but she just rolls her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Max. You know you can't resist having me like this," she teases suggestively. "You've already given in three times in the last week, and this is just gonna be the fourth. Come on, you can't deny you love doing it like this."

I sigh, feeling my resistance crumbling.

"Fine, you're right," I concede. "I want to do it without a condom."

"I knew it," she smiles, leaning down for a kiss as she lowers herself onto me.

We both let out a moan as I fill her completely, and I revel in the feel of her hot, wet, tight passage gripping me firmly. I close my eyes at the sensations flowing through my body, until Liz's voice penetrates my brain.

"Look at me, Max."

I pry open my eyes to gaze into hers as she begins moving slowly above me.

The next thirty minutes feel like the most intense of my life. Liz and I seem to connect on a level we don't reach all that often and making love with her tonight is mind-blowing. She one thing that I love about her is that she has this way of making me feel like I'm gonna explode and then somehow she prevents me from reaching that ultimate pleasure until the very last moment, when I feel like I'm going out of my mind with desire. And tonight, something happens which isn't all that common for us; we come together and the pleasure seems to last forever.

Afterwards, I pull her down to the couch with me and we lie together contentedly. I grab a discarded blanket from the floor and pull it over us as I wrap my arms around her naked body, and we talk about everything and nothing, until we eventually fall asleep, sated and happy.

_TBC_…


	16. Interlude V

**Interlude Five**

_**Max **_

_**Present Day – Early October 2006**_

"No, Maria. Stop it. I already told you…I don't want to go swimming with the cookies."

I'm sorry…what?

I can't help the half-chuckle, half-snort that escapes my mouth at Liz's sleep-filled mumblings. She never used to, but lately she's started talking in her sleep, and some of the things that come out of her mouth are absolutely hilarious; I know I shouldn't do it, but it's kind of amusing to poke fun at her nonsensical ramblings in the mornings.

I glance down at her with a small smile as I smooth my fingers lightly through her long hair. She shifts slightly on the couch and buries her face further into my leg. I resist the urge to squirm as her hand brushes a ticklish spot on my knee as it moves up to rest on my leg and with a contented sigh, I relax back against the sofa cushions returning my attention to the soccer game on TV. We're having a lazy Saturday morning at home, sat on the couch in our pyjamas (which consist of just a pair of boxer shorts and an old t-shirt – for the both of us...I'll leave it up to you to work out who's wearing which article of clothing), watching last night's game…well, okay, _I'm_ watching the game and Liz is sleeping; not that she doesn't like watching soccer, but we had a rather energetic night and early morning, so now she's catching up on her sleep.

My fingers stop stroking Liz's hair as I become absorbed in the football action on screen and before I know it, I'm leaning forward in my seat as my team gets the ball and makes a run for the goal. They take the shot…and score!

"Yes!" I shout, punching my fist in the air as I straighten up on the couch… momentarily forgetting that Liz is currently sleeping on my lap. I look down in dismay, time moving in slow motion as her eyes fly open in surprise, just seconds before she tumbles to the floor.

"What the fuck, Max?" she cries from her position on the floor, sleep-filled expression now dazed and confused.

"God, I'm sorry, Liz," I apologise quickly, reaching out a hand to help her up. "I was just, uh…watching the game and we scored and I kinda got excited for a second."

She rolls her eyes as she slides back onto the couch again, "I should have known."

"Sorry," I apologise again, not eager to have her mad at me for the rest of the day.

She nods, but her expression is still a little put out, "You know, you woke me up from a really good dream."

I smirk, remembering her earlier mumblings, "A really good dream, huh? It didn't involve cookies and a swimming pool, did it?"

She gives me a perplexed look.

"You were talking in your sleep again," I inform her, watching as she buries her face in her hands for a moment, before looking up at me again.

"Oh, God, was I?" she mumbles, embarrassed.

"Uh huh," I tell her with a grin.

"This is so embarrassing," she admits

"Hey, come here," I say, as I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her close, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Don't be embarrassed, okay? I pretty much embarrass myself on a daily basis at work, so you're not the only one."

She chuckles, "Oh, yeah…how is your little drooling problem coming along?"

"Oh, ha, ha," I retort and she giggles.

I haven't mentioned my little problem yet, have I? See, the guys at work are always making fun of me, especially since I put my foot down and told my boss that spending time with my wife was more important than going for drinks after work. Mostly though, it's because my desk is covered with pictures of Liz and of the two of us together, and on occasion, I can get a little distracted by them…okay, so a lot distracted and it seems that everyone in the office has noticed.

"So, what time are Maria and Michael getting here?" she asks when she's calmed down.

I glance at the clock on the mantelpiece.

"In a couple of hours," I tell her. "Maria's flight gets in soon and Michaels' meeting her at the airport before they drive up here."

Maria has a week off from working in the studio and is flying back from New York this weekend. She and Michael are coming to stay with us until Monday and then they're driving down to Roswell for the rest of the week.

"Well, in that case, we'd better get dressed and make this apartment visitor-friendly."

"Aww, do we have to?" I groan. "I don't think I have the energy to be organised this morning. You know, I've had a hard week and what with you tiring me out last night, I just need some time to relax."

"Oh, poor baby," she grins, running a hand through my hair. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who insisted you couldn't go another minute without ravishing me, so don't blame me for your exhaustion."

"Okay, fine…spoilsport," I sigh, extracting myself from her and standing up. I make my way to the bedroom in search of something to wear, only turning back to stick my tongue out at her before I disappear inside.

* * *

"It's good to see you, man," I tell Michael as we find ourselves alone in the doorway of the apartment.

He and Maria have just arrived, but Liz took one look at Maria, shrieked and pulled her into a hug, before dragging her off to the kitchen and shutting the door behind them. Michael and I just rolled our eyes before greeting each other.

"You too, man," he replies, giving me a friendly pat on the back. "So, how's the job and married life, and everything."

"Oh, it's great…most of the time."

"Are we talking about the job or the marriage here?"

"Well, a job's a job, I guess," I make a face. "Not much to say there, so I guess I'm talking about the marriage."

He frowns, "Sounds like you got something on your mind."

"Maybe," I shrug, not particularly comfortable with the direction of the conversation considering that Maria and Liz are only in the kitchen.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not here." I glance towards the closed kitchen door.

"Hey, I saw a sports bar on our way over here," he says. "You wanna go talk there?"

"Sounds good," I smile. It seems Michael must have something he wants to get off his chest as well – he's not usually one to suggest going somewhere to talk. "I'll just let the girls know we're going."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Michael and I are settled into a corner of the sports bar with a couple of beers.

"So, what's up?" questions Michael, taking a sip from his beer, his gaze flitting from me to the big screen across the room and then back again. He seems a little jittery today…in fact; he looks like he really wants to tell me something.

"How about you go first?" I suggest, with a thoughtful frown. "What's on your mind?"

"Okay, Maxwell, here's the thing: I need some advice."

"Okay. What about?"

"I think…no, I know…" he takes a deep breath. "I want to ask Maria to marry me."

My eyes widen in surprise as a grin spreads across my face, "Really?"

"Yeah," he shrugs awkwardly. "I do. But I don't know if we could even make it work."

"Why not?" I question.

"Well, for one, she lives in New York and I'm stuck here."

"So?" I shrug. "That didn't stop me from asking Liz."

He sighs, "It's just…where would we live. I can't ask Maria to give up her career and move back home, but I just don't know if I could live in New York, Max."

"You know what, Michael?" I tell him. "I wouldn't worry about that just yet. If you definitely want to do this, then all you need to think about right now is asking her. You can worry about the rest after she says yes."

He takes that in. "Okay, so here's my other problem: How do I ask her? I mean, it's not like I can live up to your fairytale proposal. That's just not me."

"No one's saying you have to, Michael. All you can do is just be yourself," I assure him.

"God, what if she wants the fairytale proposal? I mean she was there when you asked Liz, what if she expects the same from me?"

I bite back a smile at his nervous ramblings. "Trust me, Mike; if she wants to marry you, which I strongly suspect she does, then how you ask her won't matter. The most important thing is that that you'll have asked."

"Okay," he nods, taking a breath to reassure himself. "Okay."

"You know what…my advice?" I offer. "Don't worry about romantic trimmings; just be honest with her and speak from the heart. She'll appreciate that more than candles and music."

He manages a small smile, "Thanks, Max."

We sit in silence for a few minutes as we turn our attention to the big screen, which currently showing a preview of this weekend's upcoming baseball games.

"So, what's up with you and Liz?" asks Michael a couple of minutes later.

"Nothing," I say hesitantly, not sure if I should really be bringing this up here and now. "Well, nothing major; it's just…okay, I was planning a special weekend for us to celebrate our three-month anniversary next week…"

"And?"

"I don't think we can afford it," I admit.

"And this is a problem because…?" asks Michael in confusion.

"It's a problem because given what I earn and how much we've budgeted for, we should have enough…but we don't," I tell him. "Michael, last month's credit card bill came yesterday…and it was a lot."

"So, what? You're telling me you and Liz keep buying things you can't afford?"

"Not me. Liz," I clarify softly. "She's been spending money on new things for the apartment and until yesterday, I didn't realise exactly how much."

"So?" questions Michael. "Just tell her to stop buying stuff. Problem solved."

I sigh, "It's not that easy, Michael. I don't know how to tell her; I don't want to make it into a problem between us."

He straightens in his seat, presumably thinking about Maria's tendency to get into arguments over nothing. "You know, Max, as much as I always try to avoid pissing Maria off in any way, I think you need to talk to Liz about this. Otherwise it's just gonna get worse between you."

"Yeah, I know," I admit. "I just don't know how to broach the subject with her." I pause, not particularly willing to discuss the problems of married life when Michael is considering proposing to Maria.

"Look, it's getting late. We should head back home before Liz sends out a search party." I change the subject quickly, not wanting to get into a full-blown discussion about my money issues right now.

Michael watches me almost suspiciously for a moment, before nodding slightly.

"Okay, Maxwell, but promise me you won't let this get out of hand, alright?"

"Yeah, okay," I agree reluctantly as I grab my jacket from the back of my chair and we head out of the bar.

I know I need to talk to Liz about this, but everything's going so well between us right now and I don't want to ruin that.

_TBC_…


	17. Chapter 11

**Part Eleven**

_**Liz**_

_**Wednesday January 18**__**th**__** 2006**_

Oh, man, I feel like crap!

Don't you just hate winter? It's like you get permanently struck down with some kind of illness or another for three whole months. It's been snowing for days here and I've had the flu since Monday, but instead of curling up in front of the TV with a bowl of soup and a hot water bottle, I've had to paste a smile on my face and continue going to class. It's only three days into the spring semester and I've already been assigned two essays and a ton of reading; so where am I now? In the library, surrounded by books with a box of tissues beside me and a cup of coffee in my hands.

I'm just getting so fed up, you know? Fed up of school, fed up of Boston, and even fed up of January. I just want to curl up with Max on a nice hot beach somewhere and forget about the rest of the world. Yeah, that would be good. Certainly about a million times better than what I'm currently doing, which is attempting to get some research done on molecular epidemiology (yeah, right now, it makes no sense to me either).

And you know what? I can't even call Max to complain about my life, because he's in class right now and his cell phone is turned off (believe me, I already tried to call him yesterday, when his phone wasn't switched off and I think I got him into trouble with his American Lit professor, so from now on, it's going to be turned off during the day).

"Hey," Becca's voice interrupts me from my non-studying.

"Hey," I reply softly, my throat sore and scratchy. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking out some books for class," she replies. "I saw you over here, so I thought I'd pop over to see how you were feeling."

"Not good," I admit. "I hate feeling like this."

"Aww, you poor thing," she commiserates, as she perches on the chair opposite me. "Hey, I have something to tell you that I think might cheer you up."

"You do?" I ask, lifting my head to look at her.

"Yeah," she grins. "You remember my friend, Ben, the one who held that Halloween party last year?"

"Yeah," I nod, adding dryly, "I remember him trying to get in my pants."

"Yeah," she chuckles. "That's him. Well get this: I don't think he's over you."

"What do you mean?" I question, as I tighten my grip on the coffee cup.

"Okay, somehow – don't ask me how – he found out that you've not been feeling good the last few days and has decided that it's because your fiancé dumped you and that you're heartbroken."

"What?" I sit up straight now, my headache and fever temporarily forgotten.

"I know," she raises her eyebrows. "And now he thinks he can be the one to comfort you in your time of need."

"Oh God," I groan, feeling my face flush with embarrassment "Great. Just great. And this was supposed to cheer me up?"

"Well, not cheer you up, exactly, but I was hoping for an eye roll and perhaps a small chuckle over how much of a loser he's being," she grins.

I smile briefly, until I realise what she just said.

"Wait, I thought he was your friend?" I ask with a frown.

She shrugs, "Yeah, well I guess he is, but I'm not a big fan of guys who try to break up engagements, so he's kinda in my bad books right now."

"Who's in your bad books, Bex?" comes a voice from beside the table. We both look up to find Jack grinning down at us.

"Ben Jameson," she replies with a grin, as Jack slides into the seat next to her and presses a chaste kiss to her lips. "It seems he wants Liz all to himself."

"Is that so?" he questions, glancing in my direction.

"Yeah," I state flatly.

"But don't worry, I put him in his place," says Becca cheerfully.

"I bet you did," murmurs Jack, leaning in for another kiss.

I avert my eyes, not particularly interesting in seeing them grope each other whilst my own other half is thousands of miles away; and my flu-symptoms aren't helping either. Eventually though, Jack and Becca pull apart and I can safely return my gaze to them.

"Okay, I gotta go," Becca tells us a few moments later, although she doesn't take her eyes off Jack. "I have class in ten. I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Okay," he smiles, releasing his grip on her so she can stand up.

"You get better okay, Liz?" she says sincerely. "Seriously, I need someone to accompany me to the mall this weekend and you'd better be there."

"Yes, ma'am," I nod and force a smile, despite the fact that I have the shivers and my head feels like it's full of cotton wool.

She waves goodbye to Jack and I and we both watch her leave, albeit for different reasons. I'm staring after her, envious that she's all perky and happy and I'm…tired and ill; but as far as I can tell, Jack's just ogling her butt.

"So," I start quietly when Becca has turned the corner and Jack has to return his attention to me. "I take it everything's still going well with you two?"

"Yeah, it is," he grins. "You know, I never thought I'd feel comfortable enough to live with someone I was dating, but it's not as hard as I'd imagined."

I smile, "You do remember that we all lived in the same house for two years, don't you? It's not like it's a new experience."

"Well, yeah," he shrugs. "I know that, but now it's different. We're not just sharing a house anymore, we're sharing _everything. _There's a big difference."

"Yeah, there is," I murmur softly, looking down at the coffee in my hands.

"Hey, you okay?" asks Jack suddenly, his hand moving to rest on my forearm. "You seem a little down."

"I'm fine," I dismiss quickly, not daring to look at him.

"You're not fine," he mutters. "No offence, but you look terrible."

"Thanks a lot," I snort finally lifting my head. "You know that's kinda what happens when you get the flu."

"I know, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that," he apologises sincerely. "But why do I get the feeling that this is more than just the flu?"

I sigh, shaking my head slightly, "It's just…I've been feeling great…wonderful, even… for the last few months. I'm finally happy again, you know?" He nods. "But the last few days, I've been feeling really miserable and I don't like it."

"I'm sorry, Liz," he offers me a compassionate smile

"I mean, I'm sure it's just because I'm sick right now, but having the flu is just making me miss Max so much more," I confess. "Did you know that we spent the last three weeks sorting out things for the wedding, just the two of us? We chose the invitations and finally decided on a menu for the reception dinner. We even picked out the flowers together," I tell him, as I feel a stray tear roll down my cheek. "And now, I'm back in cold, snowy Massachusetts with a ton of assignments to complete and a full-on case of the flu!"

"Oh, Liz," murmurs Jack sympathetically.

"I don't want to be here anymore, Jack," I cry, the tears coming faster now, making big, wet splotches on my notebook. "I can't do it anymore. I want to go home. I want to be with Max… I need Max!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay," soothes Jack. He stands up and moves round the table to sit next to me. He wraps his arms around me and I let myself relax against him. "You're gonna be okay, Liz. I promise. You're probably right, I bet it is just the flu making you feel like this and I also bet you'll be back to normal in a few days. And as for going home, I'm even gonna take a page out of Max's book and tell you that there's no way I'm letting you quit Harvard. Especially not now, when you're so close to the end."

"Mmm," I mutter, not feeling particularly enthralled at that prospect.

"Look, let's get out of here, okay?" he continues. "You're in no shape to be studying right now, so I'm gonna take you back to your apartment, run you a hot bath and then you're going to have a nice relaxing afternoon, alright?"

"Okay," I sniffle. "Thanks, Jack."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," he smiles down at me. "Now, come on, let's get you home."

I keep hold of my now lukewarm cup of coffee and grab the box of tissues as I watch him gather up my books and shove them into my backpack. When he's done, he smiles at me and holds out a hand in invitation. I don't take it because my hands are full, but I stand up and move to his side. He slings my backpack over his shoulder and then slides his free arm around my shoulders. We make our way out of the library and across the snowy campus to my apartment.

True to his word, when we get there Jack runs me a bath and then sets about making soup for after I'm done. As I relax into the tub, I can't stop the fresh tears running down my face as I think of Max. I hope that Jack is right and that I'm feeling like this because I'm sick, because I really don't want to go through everything again.

_TBC_…


	18. Chapter 12

**Part Twelve**

_**Max**_

_**Saturday January 21**__**st**__** 2006**_

"Give three examples of problem-solving tasks you have carried out in the past and describe how you approached your solutions," I murmur, scanning the document in front of me. "What the hell?"

I squint at the words in front of me, as if that's going to help me figure out what they mean. Eventually I give up, tossing my pencil onto the table and leaning back in my chair with a frustrated sigh.

"Shit, I'm never gonna get this done!" I mutter, as I run my fingers through my hair.

"Having trouble?" asks Alex from the bed, where she has her nose buried in the latest issue of Cosmo.

"What do you think?" I retort, sending her a mock glare.

I've been attempting to fill out job application forms for the past two hours, and apart from the obvious sections (name, address, education etc.), I have no idea how to complete them.

"You know," she says airily, sitting up on my bed. "It's not that hard. I've filled out, like, twenty-five of them in the last couple of months. You just need to write about what you're good at."

I scoff, "Yeah, and if it's so easy, why don't you just go ahead and do it for me?"

"Oh, yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" she retorts. "Then you wouldn't have to do anything!"

"Well, it's not like I'm doing anything right now anyway," I return.

"Fine," she sighs, putting the magazine aside and crossing the room to where I'm sitting at the desk. "Let me have a look; maybe I can help."

I roll my chair backwards to give her some room as she leans across me to take a look at the half-completed application on the desk. Her wavy blonde hair flows over her shoulder, shielding her face from my view and for a moment, I picture long, dark hair in its place. I close my eyes as I imagine that Liz is the one standing in front of me wearing figure-hugging jeans and a flowery top.

"…and maybe you could mention your semester at Harvard in here," Alex voice interrupts my daydream. "Hey, Max?"

My eyes fly open to reveal Alex staring down at me in amusement. Sheepishly, I return the gaze, but suddenly something changes and a strange, thoughtful expression appears on her face. For some strange reason, I find myself unable to tear my eyes from her face…that is, until my cell phone rings.

"Hello?" I murmur into the mouthpiece as I divert my eyes from Alex as she moves back to the bed.

"Hi, Max, it's Nancy," comes the reply from Liz's mom.

"Hi, Nancy, what can I do for you?" I reply, as I rack my brains for the reason she could be calling me.

"Sorry to bother you on the weekend, Max, but your mom and I have been discussing possible photographers for the wedding."

"Oh?" I question, a little confused.

"Yes, well, we think we've found a good one in Albuquerque; but the thing is, neither of us have the time to drive up to meet with him, so we were wondering if maybe you could meet with him for us."

"Oh, um, sure…I guess," I say hesitantly.

"Great!" she exclaims. "We gave him a call earlier and he'll be available all afternoon, so if you wouldn't mind going over today, that would be great."

"Well, uh…okay, sure," I tell her. "What's the address? And what do I need to say to him?"

She begins reeling off a list of things for me to ask and I grab the pencil from my desk so I can write them down.

"Okay, got it," I tell her when she's finished. "I'll go over this afternoon."

"Thank you so much, Max," replies Nancy.

"No problem," I return. "I'll call you when I get back and let you know what he said, okay?"

"Okay, then. Bye."

"Bye."

I hang up the phone with a sigh.

"That was Liz's mom," I tell Alex. "I have to go check out a photographer for the wedding."

"Oh, okay," she says with a nod.

"You wanna come with?" I invite. "I could use the company."

"Sure," she smiles. "After all, everyone knows that guys are useless at the whole wedding thing. I think you might need me there."

"Oh, ha, ha," I retort, standing up and reaching for my jacket. "Come on, let's get going."

* * *

Alex and I spend almost three hours meeting with the photographer, and I'm almost ashamed to admit that she was right about me being no good at the wedding stuff, or at least the part where I had to interview some random photographer guy who's gonna be taking the wedding photos.

On the way back home, I drop Alex back at her place and thank her profusely for all her help with the photographer, before driving back to my apartment. This morning the guys informed me that we were all heading out to one of the downtown clubs for a fun night out, so I figure that I've got just enough time to call Liz before we head out.

I begin dialling her number before I've even gotten out of the jeep, but by the time she picks up I've reached the front door.

"Hey, it's me," I greet her warmly, as I make my way through the apartment towards my room. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," comes her soft, slightly raspy reply. "This flu is kicking my ass."

"I'm sorry," I tell her sincerely. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Be here with me?" she half-begs, half-questions and my heart sinks at her sad tone.

"I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could," I tell her sincerely.

"I know," she sniffs. "It's still not fair, though."

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she says with a sigh. "Everything. I don't know. I'm just feeling really crappy right now."

"Hey, you'll be okay," I assure her matter-of-factly. "I bet that's just the flu talking right now."

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbles, before changing the subject, "So, what's going on with you?"

"Other than attempting to write job applications and running random errands for your mother, not much," I tell her.

"Wait, my mother?"

"Yeah, she and my mom found a photographer for the wedding, but he's based here in Albuquerque, so she asked me to go see him on her behalf."

"Oh, okay. So, what was he like?"

"I dunno, really," I shrug. "He's a photographer… His pictures are good, though."

"Well, that's all we need," she replies with a small giggle, causing a smile to form on my lips. At least she seems a little happier than she was just now.

My heart gives a tug as I remember what she went through…what we both went through…last year. I'd hate for her to become depressed again, especially since she's been so happy for the last few months.

We talk for almost an hour, until John and Mark practically beat my door down in an attempt to make me hurry up and get ready to go out. See, they want to start the drinking part of the evening as soon as possible, and apparently that's just not possible if I'm not with them – go figure (actually, by the tone of their voices, especially Mark's, I'm of the opinion that they've already started drinking, which kind of defeats the object of waiting for me before they begin)!

I say a long, drawn-out goodbye to Liz and hang up the phone with a sigh, staring at it for as long as possible, before the guys start calling through the door again and I have to find something to wear for the evening.

Okay, here goes, I think as I pull on some jeans and a nice shirt and run a comb through my hair, before exiting the room. As expected, Mark and Pete practically pounce on me, each handing me a bottle of beer, the second I leave the room and I can tell that I'm in for a long, energetic night.

_TBC_…


	19. Interlude VI

Interlude Six

_**Liz**_

_**Present day – Late October 2006**_

"Hey, I'm home," I call as I let myself into the apartment. I get no response, although I can see Max sitting on the couch with his back to me. The TV is on, showing last night's soccer game – he taped it because we were…otherwise occupied…last night – but he appears to be concentrating on whatever is in on his lap front of him rather than the game.

As I approach the couch, I feel a little guilty because it's Friday and I've been out all afternoon. See, Max's company has this tradition of finishing work at 1.30 pm on a Friday, which means that he's now been home alone for almost four hours. The reason I feel guilty is because we usually only get to see each other in the evenings and therefore Friday afternoons are always put aside for some alone time. However, today I have good reason to be out: I received some great news at lunchtime and just couldn't help doing some celebratory shopping with Julie. Guess what my news was? I finally got offered a job! Just when I'd basically given up on finding anything, I get a call from this small biology lab just outside Santa Fe, offering me a position as a lab technician.

A smile plays on my lips as I observe my husband. He seems to be in deep concentration and I wonder what he's doing. As I reach the couch, I drop my shopping bags over the top and onto the seat at the end, slipping my arms round his neck from behind.

"Hi," I murmur, placing a kiss to his temple as I rest my hands flat against his upper chest. He still doesn't react, and I frown. What's up with him today?

"Max?" I try as I make my way around to the front of the sofa. He's sitting in the middle, his feet propped up on the coffee table and there are letters and papers strewn all over the seat on his left. Without lifting his head from whatever he's reading, he moves his feet so I can squeeze past and then lowers them to the table once more. I slip onto the couch and lean in for a kiss. He flinches slightly and I move back, watching him curiously.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Where have you been?" he ignores my question, changing the subject instead.

"I went shopping with Julie from downstairs," I admit sheepishly. "But, guess what?" I add excitedly.

"You went shopping?" he frowns.

"Well, yeah…but, I mean, I found out something really great today and –"

"Liz," he cuts me off, as he reaches for a piece of paper and holds it out to me. "What's this?"

I take it from him and glance down at it. "It's our credit card bill," I say slowly, confused as to why he's showing me this.

"Have you seen the total amount?" he asks tonelessly.

I look down and shrug. It's $350, which is not close to our limit by any means

"Yeah…and?"

"Liz," he sighs wearily. "You can't keep buying new things all the time."

"What are you talking about?" I ask. I haven't bought that much stuff recently – only things for the apartment…and a couple of pairs of shoes…that's all.

"Look, we're only living off one salary right now and I know that my pay isn't bad, but we just can't afford many extra things right now. You know, the rent and the bills take up a fair amount, not to mention the tax. After all that and food, there's not much left over each month."

"What, and you're saying that I'm spending it all?" I cry incredulously.

"Well," he starts, uncomfortably. "You have bought a lot of stuff since we moved in here. Stuff we probably don't need."

"So you're saying we don't need curtains, or lamps, or crockery, or anything else for our new home?" I exclaim, my voice rising steadily.

Okay, so maybe we don't need absolutely [i]_everything_[/i] I've bought recently, but there's no way he's gonna pin all the blame on me!

"No, I'm not saying that," he says tiredly, running his hands through his hair. "I'm just saying that we need to be more careful with our money."

I scoff, "Says the guy who has splashed out on I don't know how many gadgets for his new car in the last month!"

"At least I know when to stop!" he spits angrily, getting up and moving to the other side of the room, before turning back to face me. "God, Liz!"

I frown, sensing that his foul mood today is not just about money.

"Max, what's this about, really?" I question loudly, trying to stay calm, but not quite succeeding.

"I'm just so…frustrated…with you right now!" he cries, throwing his hands up in an 'I despair' gesture.

His words hit me like a blow. He's frustrated with me? What have I done? I swallow against the tears that are threatening to spill over.

"What?" I manage, my voice barely above a whisper.

"God, I feel like I never get to spend time with you anymore – you're always going out with _Julie_ or talking on the phone with Maria or Becca or Jack or Grace or someone else. Even today – you were out shopping instead of spending the afternoon with me. I was looking forward to our Friday tradition and I come home to an empty apartment!"

I stand up quickly, offended by his words. "What, suddenly I'm not allowed to have a life, is that it?" I demand hotly. "God, I was so lonely here the first couple of weeks when you were at work, and I'm so glad that I met Julie because she helps stop the loneliness."

His face softens slightly, "Liz, I'm sorry – "

But I'm not done yet.

"And what about you?" I cut him off angrily. "Don't think I haven't forgotten you also spend time with Alex, Max. Ever since she moved back to Albuquerque two months ago, you two have had lunch together at least once a week. And she's always round here too. You know what? I'm beginning to get fed up with having to spend my evenings with her as well as you!"

He scoffs, "Liz, she's only been here a couple of times; don't you think you're overreacting a little?"

I snort, "Overreacting? You're even worse than I am! If you don't regard your friendship with Alex a big deal, then why are you yelling at me about my friends? You can't have it both ways."

He makes a face. "Oh, fuck it!" he yells suddenly. "This is pointless!"

That stings. Does he really think so little of me?

"Pointless? What's pointless, huh? Our life together; our happiness?" I cry.

"Oh, for God's sake, Liz!" he snaps and I flinch. What is with him today? In any case, I've had enough.

"You know what? I don't know when exactly you turned into a hypocritical bastard, but I'm not gonna stand here and listen to it anymore," I tell him harshly, as I make my way towards our bedroom. When I reach the door, I turn back to face him. He's standing rigidly near the kitchen door, his hands clenching and unclenching in anger. "And for your information," I add sarcastically. "The reason I was out with Julie this afternoon is because we were celebrating. After dozens and dozens of rejections, I actually I got offered a job today," I inform him. "So, now you don't have to worry about my spending habits, okay?"

I don't give him a chance to react. Instead I let out a frustrated huff, slam the bedroom door and lock it behind me.

God, I could just kill him sometimes!

_TBC_…


	20. Chapter 13

Part Thirteen

_**Liz **_

_**Tuesday February 14**__**th**__** 2006**_

It's so crazy; for some reason, I just can't stop smiling today. I finally got over the flu about ten days ago, and luckily, my good mood returned with my improving health. For the past week, I've actually been feeling pretty good (if you don't count the huge about of homework that my professors decided to dump on me at the last minute), although today my happiness is mostly because of Max. See, it's Valentines' Day and I woke up this morning to find a huge bouquet of flowers had been delivered to my apartment, along with a card and a small carefully-wrapped package, which immediately put a huge smile on my face, even though I was still groggy with sleep and my legs were aching from being forced to work out with Jack at the gym last night. Actually, come to think of it, maybe the gym wasn't such a great idea. I haven't really gotten my appetite back yet and the last few days, I haven't eaten as much as I usually do, so after thirty minutes on the treadmill followed by, like, forty sit-ups, I was feeling kinda light-headed.

Anyway, Max was so sweet – he sent me a beautiful bouquet of white and red roses (white because they're my favourite and red because it's Valentine's), a really sweet Forever Friends card with a cute little handwritten note inside and this absolutely gorgeous white-gold necklace and earring set. The first thing I did after I opened it was call to thank him and wish him a Happy Valentine's Day. In fact, I think I woke him up, because he sounded pretty out of it when he answered. On the one hand, it meant he hadn't received my gift yet (which was a pair of tickets to an upcoming soccer game in Albuquerque that I know he wanted to go to, but couldn't afford, and a new CD), but on the up side, I got to have really good phone sex with a sexy, sleepy Max Evans this morning.

Afterwards, as I lay on my bed, naked and sated; on the other end of the line, Max opened his gift from me and was so eager to thank me for it that we almost went another round, but a glance at the clock in my room reminded me that I had a class to get to and we had to put things on hold for a while. However, I did manage to find out his plans for Valentine's night, which apparently was spending a night in thinking about me, although I know him well enough to know that that means he'll be having a night out with the guys (well, the ones who are either single or are also in long-distance relationships at least).

I, on the other hand, am off on a girl's night out with Emma and Lauren, who don't have Valentine's dates either. We managed to book massages at a day spa in Boston at 6pm and then we're going out for dinner at this restaurant in the city that is only taking bookings for non-couples tonight – a safe-haven for those who are lacking a date on Valentine's, if you will. Grace was planning on joining us, but she met this guy at the student bar on Saturday night and they're going out for dinner tonight.

Right now, however, I am sat in my Genetics class, trying desperately to concentrate on the lecture instead of the fun evening ahead of me.

* * *

"So, Liz, have you chosen your wedding dress yet?" asks Lauren from beside me as we get pedicures at the beauty spa.

"Ooh, what kind are you going for?" wonders Emma from my other side. "I think those long, slinky dresses are gorgeous!"

"I know I really should find one soon," I say thoughtfully, "But I just haven't really had time to look yet."

"Didn't you and Max spend most of Christmas vacation sorting out thing for the wedding?" pipes up Grace, "I'm surprised you didn't get one then."

"Well, I would have done, I guess, but the only one available at the time was Max, and it's tradition for him not to see the dress before the wedding, so shopping for one was kind of out of the question," I tell both Grace and Emma. "Maria could only spare a few days away from New York and Max's sister was really busy so I had no shopping buddies over Christmas."

"What about your mom? Couldn't she have gone with you?"

"I guess," I shrug. "But my mom has a habit being almost too helpful when we go clothes shopping together. Just when I've decided on something, she'll point out something else and then I can't decide which one to buy."

"Well, here's an idea: how about we all get together and go dress shopping with you…say this weekend?" suggests Emma. "We'll see if Grace can come, and Becca too."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," I reply with a smile. "I can invite Maria up too and we can have a girl's weekend."

"That sounds good," grins Lauren. "It'll be so much fun! Just think…we can pretend we're getting married too and try on all the dresses!"

I grin and roll my eyes as I rest my head back against the headrest of the comfy chair I'm sitting in. You know, going shopping for my wedding dress could turn out to be hilarious.

The rest of the evening is fun and relaxing, as we are treated to special 'Valentine's Day massages' and a trip to the sauna, followed by a mini makeover. The three of us leave the spa to head over to the restaurants for dinner feeling nice and calm and refreshed. The food is wonderful and we spend the entire meal laughing and giggling over random things as the complimentary bottle of wine goes right to our heads.

We return home at just past midnight and in my warm fuzzy state, I decide to give Max a call to tell him how much I love him. However, he doesn't pick up – no doubt he's out getting drunk with his friends, so I leave a naughty answer phone message on his cell phone (something I would normally feel self-conscious about, but with the amount of alcohol in my system tonight, I just don't care). After that, I find myself so tired that I fall right into bed without even changing my clothes – damn the beauty spa and the wine for making me feel so relaxed!

* * *

_**Saturday February 18**__**th**__** 2006**_

"I can't believe we're actually shopping for wedding dresses, Lizzie!" squeals Maria as the six of us reach the first bridal shop of the day. "It seems like only yesterday we were in kindergarten together and now you're getting married!"

"Maria, you've known that I'm getting married for months now," I chuckle. "You were there when Max proposed, for God's sake."

"I know," she retorts. "But it's really starting to sink in now."

"Well, how do you think _I_ feel?" I return, with wide eyes. "I'm going to be a married woman in less than five months! It's fucking scary!"

"Oh, shit, Liz…that _is_ scary," she replies as we follow Grace, Emma, Lauren and Becca into the shop. "Boy, am I glad that Michael's not gonna propose any time soon!"

I don't reply to her comment, because my eyes are fixed on the many racks of long, white dresses around the shop. Suddenly, this whole thing seems kind of daunting. How on earth am I going to find The One in all of this? Not to mention that this is only the first shop we'll be visiting today. I watch, almost detachedly, as the sales assistant approaches us and introduces herself, inquiring about the bride in our party…namely, me. Becca and Grace immediately push me forward and I stumble slightly. The assistant simply smiles warmly at me and leads me over to the first rail of dresses, picking several out for me to try.

An hour later, I must have tried on about thirty dresses and I have yet to find The One. There have been big, puffy meringues, floor-length, skin-tight dresses and even miniskirt-style dresses, but nothing that screams 'this is it…this is the dress I'm getting married in' and I'm beginning to get frustrated with the whole process. My friends, on the other hand, are having the time of their lives. Emma and Maria are discussing veils and flower headpieces to go with the dresses they're currently wearing, whilst Grace and Lauren are arguing about who looks best in the pink, strapless dress from the front window display.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I stare at myself in the mirror. The latest dress I've been squeezed into is a shocking skin-tight concoction of lace and sequins, with horrifying puffy sleeves and some kind of criss-crossing ties down my back. In other words, it's absolutely disgusting! Never mind the fact that I can't even look at myself in it without wanting to hurl, I couldn't even subject Max to seeing me in it. In fact, if he did, he might just go running for the hills!

"Guys," I call, wrinkling my nose in disgust at the mirror. "There's nothing here. Can we try somewhere else?"

They all take one look at me in this monstrosity of a dress and readily agree. Less than ten minutes later, we're on our way to the next shop, which is much more pleasant than the previous one, but still has nothing good. After several hours and four dress shops, I begin to give up hope that I'll ever find a wedding dress, and I have awful visions of walking down the aisle in jeans and T-shirt. However, at shop number five, we have more success.

I try on a couple of dresses that are not bad at all, but I still don't get that certain feeling about either of them…until the third dress, that is.

As Toni, the sales assistant slips the soft, silky material over my head, a curl of excitement unfurls in my stomach. The dress feels smooth against my skin as Becca zips it up. I take a deep breath before I turn towards the mirror…and my jaw drops.

Oh my God, it looks incredible!

My eyes take in the strapless, tight (but not too tight) bodice, sparkling with tiny diamond flecks, and the full skirt, also dotted with sparkles, which reaches the floor. I look like a princess!

The skirt is not too wide or heavy and the outer layer is made of satiny material rather that horrid netting stuff. It just fits perfectly. I imagine how I will look when my hair is up, my make up is done and the veil is pinned to my head, and a thrill runs through me. This is _the_ dress.

"This is it," I declare happily. "This is my wedding dress."

"Congratulations," smiles Becca, clapping her hands together. "You look so great in that dress."

"Oh, thank God," exhales Maria, with a playful roll of her eyes. "Can we go get lunch now?"

"Oh ha, ha," I retort, placing my hands on my hips and sticking my tongue out at her.

"Don't listen to her, Liz," says Grace, sending Maria a mock glare. "You look wonderful."

"Yeah, you really do," adds Lauren, Emma follows up with a "Ditto."

"Thank you, guys," I say sincerely, sending a pointed look Maria's way.

I turn back to the mirror, staring at myself again, as I run my hands down over the bodice to my waist, smoothing the skirt with the palms of my hands. Eventually, I allow the sales assistant to slip it off me and hang it back up on the rail. She takes down my details and goes over the ordering and adjustment process, after which, I pay the required deposit and arrange a date to come in for a proper fitting. Finally, though, we're ready to go.

As we leave the bridal shop and head towards the small café on the corner, Becca speaks up.

"Well, now that you've got your wedding dress sorted, now all you have to do is choose the bridesmaid's outfits," she comments airily, before walking on ahead of me.

I stop. Oh crap, I'd almost forgotten about the bridesmaid's dresses. Now I'm going to have to spend agonising amount of time trying to find something that Maria and Isabel (my bridesmaids) will both agree on. And it's not going to be easy, considering that I currently live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, whilst Maria is in New York City and Isabel lives in San Francisco.

I can just see the colour decisions and fittings going really well!

_TBC_…


	21. Chapter 14

**Part Fourteen**

_**Max**_

_**Saturday February 18**__**th**__** 2005**_

"Hey, man," greets John unenthusiastically from my doorway. I look up as he enters the room and flops down onto my bed.

"Hey," I reply somewhat distractedly, as I rummage through a drawer full of clothes, searching for something suitable to wear this evening.

"So, what the hell am I supposed to be wearing tonight?" he questions, staring at the ceiling. "You know, I don't really do 'black tie."

"I'm right there with you, man," I tell him. "I hate all this formal stuff. You think I can go in a shirt and tie instead of a tux?"

"That's what I'm doin'," he mutters. "I don't have anything else."

Okay, well, that settles it then. Casual shirt and tie it is then (and maybe a jacket too).

"So, what's this Sandra chick like then?" questions John a moment later.

Before I answer that, I think I'd better fill you in on what John is talking about. See, there's this fundraising dinner for the children's hospital on tonight, and Alex has asked (well, practically begged) me to be her 'date' for it. However, when she'd finally gotten me to agree, she also managed to rope John into accompanying her friend Sandra to the dinner as well (apparently, it's a 'couples only' thing – kinda stupid, if you ask me).

"Well, I've only met her a couple of times, but she seemed alright," I say with a shrug. "If you're interested, she's petite with dark blonde hair and seems pretty outgoing," I add, already knowing that Sandra is exactly John's type.

"Really?" he enquires with a grin, as he quickly sits up. "Maybe this thing won't be so bad after all. You know, I think I might go see what I can rustle up for an outfit."

I shake my head and chuckle as he practically jumps off the bed and disappears into the hallway towards his own room. With a sigh, I return to searching for the blue tie that I know is around somewhere. I eventually find it balled up inside some black shoes; the ones I'll be wearing to the dinner, in fact (God knows why it was there, though). After I've laid the tie safely on the bed, I pull a grey shirt a pair of black dress pants out of my closet and place them on the bed too. Once I'm satisfied that I have everything I need, I start getting changed for the evening.

I'm just shrugging on a jacket when my cell phone goes off and a quick glance at the caller ID tells me that it's Alex.

"'Lo?" I greet a little distractedly, as I straighten my tie.

"Hey, it's Alex," she chirps. I roll my eyes…like I didn't already know that.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Just calling to check you guys were ready," she says. "You're supposed to be picking us up in ten."

"Yeah, yeah, we're almost ready. We'll leave the apartment in a couple of minutes," I tell her, as I take a quick glance at the clock. She's right, it six-fifty pm and we're supposed to be at Alex's at seven – I really hope John is ready to go, because I haven't actually seen him since he left my room earlier.

"Okay, great," she replies. "See you soon, then."

"Okay, bye," I say, before hanging up.

I take one last look in the mirror, making sure that my shirt is tucked in and my jacket looks alright, before heading towards John's room and knocking on his door.

"Hey, man, you ready to go?"

"Yeah," comes his voice, muffled through the door. "I'll be right out."

Six minutes later, we're both seated in the jeep and on our way to pick up Sandra and Alex.

* * *

It seems that both girls have gone all out for the evening. They appeared from Alex's apartment in long dresses, high heels and fitted coats (it's still pretty cold here in New Mexico at night). I didn't think much of it, however, until we arrived at the conference room where the dinner is being held and they checked their coats into the cloakroom. Both John and I were left open-mouthed as two smooth bare backs were revealed to our eyes. Only the deep-purple coloured criss-cross straps of Alex's gown marred her otherwise flawless skin, whilst Sandra's red dress was completely backless, therefore giving John a complete eyeful… and making him all the more interested in her.

The evening gets off to a fairly good start. We find our seats at one of the elaborately decorated circular tables in the conference room as Alex strikes up casual small talk between the four of us. With partly forced smiles, we have to endure the incredibly long-winded, but I guess necessary welcome speeches given by the founders and governors of the hospital, before being able to tuck into the meal. However, as we eat, I find myself becoming more than slightly distracted by the girls in their leave-nothing-to-the-imagination, figure-hugging dresses. However, every time I find my eyes wandering in either of their directions, I immediately feel guilty and look away. God, what kind of fiancé am I being to Liz if I'm sitting here ogling other women?

Okay, so subconsciously I know it's just a natural male reaction and is probably no different from finding movie stars attractive, but I still feel guilty about it, so I shake my head quickly and concentrate on the food on my plate instead. In fact, I become so focused on the meal, that I barely notice when the girls excuse themselves to visit the ladies room and only snap out of it when I hear a low, appreciative whistle come from John's lips a few minutes later.

"Oh my God," he breathes. "Will you look at her?"

I look up, slightly confused, and follow his gaze. Sandra is walking towards us, with Alex following just behind. I begin to roll my eyes at John's reaction to Sandra, until she moves to the left slightly and I get a full view of Alex walking towards me gracefully. My breath catches in my throat and I feel my heartbeat speed up slightly at the sight of her. Geez, when did she get so beautiful? Has she always looked like that?

I find myself mesmerised by her… from her shiny blonde hair, falling around her face in soft curls, to her sparkling blue eyes and full red lips. Her purple dress hugs all the right curves, accentuating her ample breasts and small waist. Oh God. I swallow, feeling a telltale tightening in my groin. She smiles at me and I quickly shut my eyes when I realise what I'm doing. A wave of shame and guilt washes over me as Liz's face pops into my mind. Shit, what am I doing? I'm not attracted to Alex; I never have been, so why am I feeling these things tonight?

I open my eyes and stare down at the plate in front of me, careful not to make eye contact with Alex as she sits down at the table again. When I've calmed myself down and finally find pluck up the courage to look up again, I find Alex watching me curiously. However, she quickly becomes involved in a conversation with Sandra, and I take the opportunity to chat to John about something other than dinner and the children's hospital. Within a few minutes, everything seems to return to normal and the previous friendly atmosphere has returned to the table.

By the end of dinner, I come to the conclusion that my strange reaction to Alex earlier was due to the fact that she is all dressed up tonight and it was just a natural reaction to seeing a beautiful woman in a skimpy dress. Well, that and the fact that I haven't had sex in over a month and pretty much anything will set me off right now.

After the meal has been cleared away and the band begins to play, John gives Sandra a grin and asks her to dance, leaving Alex and I still sitting at the table.

"So," I say. "This has been a good evening so far."

"Yeah, it has," she smiles. "It looks like John and Sandra are getting on well."

I glance over at them, laughing together as they attempt to dance with each other.

"Yeah, they are," I agree.

"So, you wanna go join them on the dance floor?" she invites, holding out her hand.

"Uh, sure," I say, figuring that I'd better get some dance practice in before the wedding.

We walk over to the dance area and assume a ballroom dance-like stance (because apparently ballroom music is the only thing the band can play) – I slide one hand around Alex's waist, whilst she slips her right hand in my left and rests her left hand on my shoulder. After a few stiff, fumbling steps, we finally begin to get the hang of the rhythm. I relax slightly and allow myself to get into the rhythm.

The four of us remain on the dance floor for most of the evening, occasionally swapping partners so that I dance a couple of song with Sandra and John leads Alex around the floor, but for the most part, Alex and I dance together. At the end of the night, we drop the girls at Alex's place; thank them for inviting us, and head back to our own apartment.

"What was up with you tonight?" demands John, cornering me pretty much the second we get in the door.

"What are you talking about?" I feign innocence, although my heart is thumping in my chest.

"You know what," he states firmly. "I'm talking about Alex. You and Alex."

"I've told you this before, Alex and I are friends. Just friends and nothing more," I say, knowing full well that whatever it was that I felt towards Alex tonight was more than just friendship.

He shakes his head in disbelief.

"I don't believe this, Max," he snorts. "It's like you can't even see what's going on right in front of your nose."

"I said nothing's going on, so what exactly are you seeing here?"

"Come on, man; don't try to deny it. I saw the way you were looking at her tonight – you wanted to get in her pants."

I let out a breath, already knowing that I've lost this argument. He's right; I can't deny what I felt earlier.

"Okay, so maybe I found Alex attractive tonight and maybe, for a brief moment, I thought about her being something more than just a friend; but my heart is with Liz, and I'm not planning on jeopardising our entire relationship just because I experienced a fleeting attraction for another girl," I tell him firmly.

"If you say so, Max," shrugs John.

"I mean it," I assure him forcefully.

Before he can say anything else, my cell phone goes off and effectively puts an end to our somewhat heated discussion.

"Hey, you," I murmur into the mouthpiece, my eyes still on my roommate. "It's after midnight. What are you doing calling this late?"

"Hey, Max," comes Liz's soft voice from the other end. "I have exciting news and I couldn't wait to share it!"

"Really, what news?" I smile at her chirpy tone as I make my way out of the living room, all the while conscious of John's gaze on my back.

"We went shopping today and I picked out my wedding dress!" she exclaims.

"Really? What's it like?" I enquire, intrigued.

"Duh, I can't tell you," she says, and I can just picture her rolling her eyes on the other end. "You're not allowed to see it until the wedding."

"I know that," I retort with a grin.

She laughs and proceeds to describe the rest of her day. As she talks, sounding so happy and excited, I get this awful feeling of dread in my stomach. I close my eyes and shake my head slowly as the memories of the evening come flooding back. I feel like the worst person in the world right now. How could I have even entertained the idea of being with Alex, when I have such a gorgeous, wonderful woman, whom I'll be marrying in just a few months time?

I'm scum; complete and utter scum.

_TBC…_


	22. Interlude VII

**Interlude Seven**

_**Max**_

_**Present Day – Late October 2006**_

Okay, it's been more than twenty-four hours since that stupid argument with Liz and we're still barely talking to each other. After she stalked off into our bedroom, leaving me staring at the closed door, I decided to leave the apartment and go for a walk, giving both of us some time to calm down. As I left the apartment, my mind was reeling; not just from her revelation that she'd finally been offered a job, but also from the fact that we'd just had a proper, full-blown fight as a married couple.

We've never been a particularly argumentative couple and even when we do argue, it's usually nothing serious; but for some reason, this time it's different. Maybe it's because, even though I was pleased for Liz, I'm also still pissed off at her about the money thing. I just can't let it go; I mean, sure, she'll be earning money now, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she doesn't seem to be aware that we need to discuss things like what we spend our money on before going out and buying things. Okay, so I'll admit that I have been buying things for the car, but they were kind of necessary, since the only vehicle I could afford to buy to replace the jeep with after it conked out completely a few months ago was a small, fairly old car that was in need of some (well, actually, quite a bit of) 'fine tuning'.

Anyway, things between Liz and I have been strained for the last day and a half. When I returned to the apartment after my walk, I found that the bedroom door was firmly shut and locked with Liz still inside. It had been over an hour and it was obvious she was still mad. So, with a sinking heart, I trudged into the kitchen to make dinner. As I chopped vegetables and boiled potatoes, my mind returned to my previous heated words about never getting to spend enough time with her anymore.

In fact, the more I mull over the words in my head, the more I regret bringing up the subject in the first place. Obviously, Liz was going to have a hard time adjusting to being at home alone with nothing to do while I'm at work, and of course she needs to have her own friends as well. I guess I just overreacted. The thing was, last week was so full of stress and deadlines and four nights of working overtime just to get a project finished, that by Friday afternoon, all I wanted to do was curl up with Liz at home and forget about everything else. I was already in a crappy mood from a tough week at work, so I guess coming home to an empty house was the last straw and I ended up taking it all out on Liz…which was stupid, even if everything I said about how I was feeling was true.

Liz didn't emerge from our room until the food was beyond cold. Eventually, I had given up waiting and heated my own plate so I could eat. I was halfway through my meal, when I heard the click of the lock being turned and the bedroom door opening. I looked up from my fork to find her standing in the kitchen doorway, wrapped in one of my old UNM sweatshirts, her eyes red and puffy. My immediate reaction was to go to her and take her in my arms, but the moment I said her name, she chose to ignore me and instead concentrated on heating up her own dinner. When it was hot, she picked up the plate, stalked right back out of the kitchen and proceeded to eat in front of the TV.

The remainder of the evening was spent in uncomfortable silence, the only conversation involving asking for the remote and passing a couple of phone calls to each other. That night, I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, a lone tear slipping down my face, as Liz slept peacefully beside me, facing the wall. When I woke up this morning, there was no sign of her; only a note on the kitchen table explaining that she was spending the day with Julie and wouldn't be back until dinnertime.

If you'd asked me yesterday morning what my plans for the weekend were, I would have said I was spending the whole time having fun with my gorgeous wife. But no, there I was, standing in the kitchen in nothing but boxers, with no idea what to do with myself. I took my time eating breakfast, and then showering and getting dressed, but by eleven o'clock I was sat in front of the TV watching cartoons, yet at the same time reliving the last 24 hours in my mind. I briefly entertained the idea of calling Liz's cell phone to apologise and attempt to smooth things over, but halfway through dialling the number, I chickened out and hung up the phone. Eventually, I ended up calling three of the guys from the office for a two-on-two basketball workout down at one of the parks across town.

Now, after a good three hours of play, we decide to head over to the sports bar across the road. Hot and sweaty, the four of us slide into a booth and order a round of cold beers. We spend almost two hours in the bar, cracking jokes about the boss and watching the football game on the big screens, until I realise that if I want to make things up with Liz tonight (which I really do), I have to get back.

Liz is already home and fixing dinner when I return to the apartment. I let myself in with a tentative, 'Hi, I'm home', to which she actually replies,

"In the kitchen."

A hesitant half-smile slides across my lips as I take in her not-so-unpleasant tone and then walk towards the kitchen. She's busy at the counter, her back to me. She doesn't turn when I enter.

"Good day?" she asks softly.

"Yeah," I nod, even though she can't see me. "You?"

"Yeah," she murmurs, concentrating on chopping…whatever it is she's chopping.

It's not much, but at least it's something. The conversation is stilted and awkward, but at least we're talking.

I slip into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, where the cutlery is already laid out for two. Liz places a plate in front of me and puts hers down at the place next to me.

"Here you go," she says, her tone slightly subdued.

"Thanks," I reply, grateful that she's talking to me again.

We eat in relative silence, not discussing the fight, or what we did during the day, or anything at all. After dinner, I carry the dirty dishes to the sink (the washing up can wait until tomorrow) and then move to the living room. I sink down onto the couch and turn on the TV, settling on a rerun of CSI. A couple of minutes later, Liz slides into the seat next to me. We sit together, our body language stiff and uncomfortable, for almost half of the episode. Neither of us speaks, although I attempt to break the silence on several occasions, but can't seem to pluck up the courage to do so. Instead, I try to concentrate on the TV show, whilst sneaking glances at Liz, sitting motionless next to me with her arms crossed. A couple of times, I think I see her open her mouth to speak but nothing comes out and I dismiss the possibility. Obviously, she's not ready to talk this out just yet, so I return my attention to the TV screen instead.

An hour and a half and two episodes of Friends later, Liz has fallen asleep with her head resting on my shoulder. With a sigh, I pick up the remote and turn the TV off before looking down at my sleeping wife. I can't help but stare at her, so peaceful in sleep, and I almost forget why I was mad at her in the first place. As she shifts against me, her head beginning to slip from my shoulder, I decide it would probably be best to take her into the bedroom so she can sleep comfortably.

I lift her effortlessly into my arms and carry her to the bedroom. I lay her on the bed and pull the covers over her body before I go get changed for bed myself. When I return from washing up in the bathroom, I find that Liz has shifted in her sleep, so that she's facing the middle of the bed, her fingers clutching the edge of my pillow. A smile plays on my lips at the adorable picture she makes and I gingerly climb into bed next to her, trying desperately not to disturb her.

It takes a long time for me to relax, mostly because I can't take my eyes off the woman I love with all my heart. I feel so bad about losing my temper with her yesterday and I realise now more than ever, how much we need to talk in the morning and clear the air once and for all. I can't live like this any longer; I can't keep holding things back from her. Liz is my wife, my other half and if we're going to make our marriage, our life together, work, then we're gonna have to be completely honest with each other from now on.

I gaze at her beautiful face until I feel my eyelids begin to droop and I fall sleep with thoughts of a hopeful future.

_TBC_…


	23. Chapter 15

**Part Fifteen**

_**Liz**_

_**Tuesday March 7**__**th**__** 2006**_

God, what the hell is wrong with me this time?

I'm sick again… for the second time in two months! What is this, some plot to pick on Liz this winter?

"Ugh," I groan, as I lift my head from the toilet bowl and sink back onto my knees, wiping the sweat from my brow. I've been throwing up for, like, four days now and, along with the headaches and general exhaustion I'm feeling as well, it's beginning to piss me off. Why is it that Grace and Emma and Lauren get off scot-free and leave me to endure enough winter illnesses for all three of them put together?

"You poor thing, are you still not feeling well?" asks Emma from the bathroom doorway. It's four in the afternoon, Grace and Lauren are in class and I'm here, throwing up all over the place.

"No," I mumble, resting my head back against the side of the bathtub as I clutch my churning stomach. "I feel like crap."

"Do you think it could have been something you ate? Maybe you have food poisoning?"

"No," I shake my head. "If it was food poisoning, I would feel sick every time I thought of food, but I don't. It's probably just a stomach bug."

Emma frowns. "Do you have any other symptoms?"

"My head kills and I'm tired, but that's about it," I murmur lethargically, my eyes sliding closed.

"But you don't have, like, diarrhoea or aching arms and legs or anything?"

"No," I mumble, as I struggle not to fall asleep right there on the bathroom floor.

There's silence for a few seconds and I'm almost tempted to ask her if she's still there, but then she speaks again.

"Um… Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think, that maybe… you could be… pregnant, do you?"

"What?" My eyes fly open as her words and I sit up in shock. "No… no, I can't be…" I stutter, my mind spinning. "I mean, it's been months… and I haven't felt sick before this… and I'm not even married yet; I can't be pregnant!"

"Liz, I hate to say this, but –" starts Emma, but I cut her off, as things begin to click into place.

"Oh my God," I whisper, a wave of panic flowing through me. This can't be happening, not now. "Oh God, I'm pregnant, aren't I?" I question faintly, my eyes filling with tears as I look up at my friend.

She watches me for a moment, her mouth opening and closing several times, before she says, "It's a possibility, Liz. I mean, sometimes pregnant women don't get sick right away. Maybe you should take a test to find out for sure?"

I nod miserably, still in shock. God, what if I am pregnant? What is Max gonna say? This has to be the worst possible time for this to happen – I'm supposed to be graduating in a couple of months and getting married after that!

"Okay, how long do we have left?" questions Emma anxiously from her spot on my bed.

"Two minutes," I tell her, eyeing the three pregnancy tests lined up on the desk. I thought I should be sure about this, so I got three tests for accuracy.

It's funny, though; Emma seems to be more nervous than I am about all this. In fact, I'm feeling surprisingly calm right now. Since my little panic attack earlier, I've had some time to think and I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I might be pregnant. As we wait the last couple of minutes before I find out my fate, my emotions are mixed. On the one hand, I'm shit-scared about the possibility of having an unplanned child, especially when Max is so far away from here and we have so many other things to think about right now; but on the other hand, I remember the conversation we had about children at Christmas and it makes me feel kind of excited about the prospect of having a baby; Max's baby, no less.

My cell phone alarm clock beeps, indicating that the time is up, and I'm startled from my thoughts.

"Okay," I exhale shakily as I stand up from the desk chair and make my way over to the table where the tests lie. "Here goes nothing."

So as not to drag this out, I pick up all three tests at once. I close my eyes, not daring to look down at them right away.

"Liz?" questions Emma.

I suck in a deep breath and exhale slowly in an attempt to calm the butterflies that have suddenly appeared in my stomach. It doesn't work. Cautiously I open my eyes and peer down at the three white sticks in my hand.

Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!

"Well?" comes Emma's soft voice.

"I'm pregnant," I state flatly, in too much shock to do anything else.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I tell her, handing her the sticks, each one showing a very distinct, very positive blue cross, before sinking down next to her onto the bed.

"What am I going to do?"

"Tell Max?" offers Emma.

"Yeah, I'm going to… I just need some time to adjust to this. God, this is not how I planned things at all."

"I'm sorry," she says sincerely. I nod. "Do you know when it happened?"

"Yeah," I realise with a sinking feeling. "It must have been on New Years."

Suddenly, that perfect night we shared seems tainted somewhat, as I realise that all this is my fault. I was the one who insisted we made love without extra protection. Max was hesitant, but I assured him nothing would happen… and look at me now: I'm a college senior, trying to graduate and plan a wedding at the same time; and now I'm pregnant too.

How did I not notice that I hadn't had a single period since before Christmas? How did I not see this coming?

Shit! All this time, I've just been going about life as normal. I've been eating crappy junk food instead of nice, healthy food with a high nutritional value for the baby. And god, I've been drinking too! I was virtually drunk on Valentine's Day… what if I've done something awful to my child?

God, I'm such an idiot!

* * *

_**Wednesday March 8**__**th**__** 2006**_

Well, I've had over twenty-four hours for the news to sink in and I'm feeling… actually, I'm not exactly sure how I'm feeling. Whilst I've spend parts of the day cursing myself for letting this happen, the other parts have been filled with fantasies of being a mother, of cradling a gorgeous little infant in my arms, with Max beside me, smiling down at the two of us, mother and child, together – a perfect happy family.

Suddenly, I'm overcome with the need to tell Max. My heart swells with happiness at the thought of what's ahead of us in the next few months. Graduation, the wedding and a baby – in fact, I can't wait.

I reach for my cell phone to call my fiancé, but halfway through dialling, an awful thought hits me and I stop.

Oh fuck, after all the trouble I went through to find it, I'm not going to fit into my beautiful, gorgeous, wonderful wedding dress!

Okay, okay, calm down, Liz. Think calm thoughts. Not fitting into your wedding dress is probably the least of your worries right now.

I take a breath to compose myself and dial Max's number again.

I bring the phone up to my ear and hold my breath in anticipation of talking to him.

And I keep holding it.

The phone rings three times…four…five…but he still doesn't answer. I frown. That's strange; he usually picks up within two or three rings. Where is he?

When it becomes obvious that he's not gonna pick up, I hang up with a sigh. Great, just when I'd geared myself up to tell him about the baby, I can't get hold of him. This just sucks.

I try his cell one more time, before calling his apartment phone, but there's no answer there either. Eventually, I decide that he must have gone out with his roommates and either can't hear his cell phone, or he doesn't have it with him.

Never mind; I'll just have to tell him tomorrow.

Instead, I'm going to spend some time with my roommates. So far, Emma is the only one who knows I'm pregnant, but I'm not going to tell the others just yet. At least, not until I've told Max. I want him to be the first to know (okay, technically, he'll be the second, but that couldn't be helped).

I spend the rest of the evening watching TV with a huge grin on my face. Emma keeps sending me indulgent smiles, whilst Grace and Lauren alternate between exchanging amused smirks and sending me suspicious looks.

Well, I don't care what they think. All I can think about is telling Max that in seven months time, he's going to be a father.

_TBC_…


	24. Chapter 16

**Part Sixteen**

**_Max_**

_**Thursday March 9**__**th**__** 2006**_

With a sigh, I drop my pen onto the pad of paper in front of me. I'm supposed to be studying for my American Lit mid-term, but I just can't seem to concentrate today. In fact, I haven't been able to concentrate for about three weeks now… ever since the night of the fundraising dinner, to be exact. I've been trying to put that evening to the back of my mind and pretend I didn't feel those things for Alex, but the more I try to forget, the more my mind dwells on it.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't understand why I'm suddenly feelings things I shouldn't for one of my closest friends at UNM. I mean, I still love Liz more than ever and I can't imagine my life without her, but for some reason Alex's face keeps popping into my mind at the most inopportune moments. I don't know what it is about Alex; it's like, I feel awkward being around her, but then there's this force that draws me in and makes me want to spend as much time as possible in her presence.

Take last night, for instance; I was on a night out with John and Mark at one of the nightclubs downtown. It was going great; we were having fun, joking and generally mucking about, but then Alex showed up with Sandra (who is kinda seeing John now) and before I knew it, I'd ditched my friends in favour of hanging out with her in a trendy bar down the street.

The thing is, as far as Alex is concerned, we're just hanging out like we usually do, but every time I get home after spending time with her, I feel so guilty that I have to call Liz just so I can feel better about myself.

Isn't that pathetic?

The only problem is, I can't even call her right now. My cell phone kinda died a couple of day ago – and when I say 'died', I mean that literally - I dropped it in the driveway and before I had a chance to pick it up, Pete ran over it with his car. And to make things even worse, it appears that _someone_ who will remain nameless (cough _Mark_ cough) who, as a finance major, is responsible for making sure the bills get paid on time every month, 'forgot' to pay the phone bill… for the last two months, and now the phone company has cut us off and until we get a new line put in, I have no way of getting hold of Liz.

Now, you would think that I could still e-mail her to tell her about the phone situation, but we're still on dial-up in our apartment and due to the lack of a phone line, we no longer have an Internet connection either.

So, if Liz has a go at me for not calling her, at least I can say it wasn't my fault and it'll be the truth.

* * *

_**Saturday March 11**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Okay, Max, let's get started then, shall we?" asks Alex primly as she sits up straight in her seat at her kitchen table. From the chair opposite her, I roll my eyes.

"We don't have to go through the whole thing, do we?" I say, my voice coming out as a whine. "I already know what I need to say."

"You can never be too prepared, Max," she says, her tone scolding. "You only have a week and a half until the interview. You're going home for Spring Break in two days and having met your friends and family, I doubt you'll get anything done in the next week. So, we're going to do this now."

"Fine," I sigh, not at all in the mood for this. "Go ahead."

Alex is helping me practise my interview skills. After filling in a whole pile of job application letters and then receiving a ton of rejections, I finally got a response from the graduate program at one of the big-name oil companies inviting me to an interview. It's a two-year training course for general business workers, fairly low-down in the company. It's not exactly what I was planning on doing after graduation, but at least it's a possibility for me. The offices are based in Phoenix, AZ, so I'll have to take a day off from classes to travel down there next week. Actually, it's a shame that Spring Break is this week rather than next, because then I could have combined the two instead of missing class.

"Okay then," Alex clears her throat and shuffles the papers in front of her, assuming a business-like posture. We're doing this at her place because her roommates have already gone home for Spring Break. "Mr. Evans, can you tell me why you believe you are suitable for this job?"

"I …" I start, but find I can't continue. Instead, I find myself lost in her blue eyes. I can't take my gaze off her. Apparently, this morning she decided that if we were going to be practising interview skills, she might as well look the part.

So here she is, sitting across the table from me, dressed in a smart blouse and pinstripe pants, her hair pulled up in some kind of twist, and I have to say that she looks _good_.

"Max?" the sound of her voice barely penetrates the haze that seems to be surrounding my thoughts. "Hey, Max" she continues, waving her hand in front of my face. "You kinda need to answer now."

"What?" I mutter, as my mind returns to the task at hand. I shake my head to clear my mind.

"The question… are you going to answer it or just stare into space all day?" she asks impatiently.

"Oh, um… yeah, I am… What was the question again?"

"Oh, man," she sighs, rolling her eyes. "Max, how do you expect to get through this interview if you can't even pay attention to the questions they're gonna ask you?"

"Sorry," I mumble, as I sink down in my seat, feeling both awkward and ashamed with myself at the same time. "So, the question?"

"Why do you believe you are suitable for the job?" she recites with a sigh.

"Okay," I say, thinking for a moment. "Well, I guess I've always been interested learning how the oil business works, especially with the recent drive to prepare for the future. I feel that I have the necessary team-building and problem-solving skills to cope with this job and I believe that I could use these for the benefit of the company."

I stop and wrinkle my nose as I replay my answer in my head.

"Man, what a load of crap!" I snort.

Alex winces at my sudden outburst, "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

"It's not even the truth!" I protest.

"Well, at least it's a start," she says encouragingly. "Look, we'll come back to that one later, okay? Let's try something else," she suggests, sifting through the piece of paper containing example interview questions.

"What's the point?" I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest in defeat.

She looks up with a confused frown.

"Man, what is with you today? You're being really moody!"

I shift uncomfortably under her gaze, "It's nothing."

"Oh, she nods, understanding suddenly appearing on her pretty face. "It's Liz, isn't it? You're just pissed off that you can't call her right now."

Missing Liz? God, if only that was the problem right now!

"Yeah… yeah, that's it," I lie, looking down at the table.

"And I bet you're not too happy that her Spring Break isn't for another two weeks and you're not even going to see her this week."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," I grumble. I am going to miss not spending Spring Break with Liz this year, although inwardly I'm kinda glad that I'll have a week alone with my thoughts. No Liz and no Alex. Maybe then, I can get my head straightened out.

"Sorry," she replies, looking guilty. "Look, I can see you're not really into this interview stuff today, so I'll make a compromise with you: We spend just one more hour going over interview techniques and then we'll order a pizza or something and rent a movie. How does that sound?"

I force a smile, "Yeah, okay."

"Great," she smiles back. "Okay, let's get stuck in, then."

For the next hour, I try to concentrate on what Alex is trying to help me with instead of spending the time staring at her shiny blonde hair and I at least manage to take some of it in, even though I probably won't remember it come tomorrow.

When we finally sit down on her couch to watch a movie, an open pizza box situated between us, my mind is racing. I know I really shouldn't be here, spending even more time with Alex, but I just can't bring myself to say no and walk away.

God, what the hell am I going to do about this?

_TBC_…


	25. Interlude VIII

**Interlude Eight**

_**Liz**_

_**Present day – Late October 2006**_

My eyes flutter open as I slowly awaken from a restful sleep. My eyes begin to adjust to the darkness and I frown as I try to work out where I am, how I got here and why I'm still dressed in yesterday's clothes. The first thing I see is the large illuminated numbers of my alarm clock, informing me that it is just after two in the morning and only then do I remember the depressing events of the last couple of days. The haziness of my slumber gradually fades away and my heart sinks just thinking about the strained atmosphere that has been present between Max and I lately. I feel a remorseful tear escape the corner of my eye as I become aware of Max's warm body pressed against my back, his arm resting on my waist. Obviously, his contact with my body is only present because he's asleep and has no control over it. After all, I'm pretty certain that if he were aware of it, he wouldn't even be facing me right now.

Taking advantage of his brief vulnerability, I relax and snuggle closer to him. Lying together like this allows me to pretend for a moment that everything is normal between us; that we haven't been fighting or rather, not speaking, for almost two days now. I close my eyes and let a small smile play on my lips as I attempt to fall back to sleep again. However, barely two seconds later, my husband shifts behind me, his fingers flexing on my stomach and his nose burying into my neck as he lets out a small groan.

"Liz?" he murmurs sleepily against my ear.

I stiffen involuntarily, embarrassed that he's waking up to find us in this intimate position when we're supposed to be mad at each other. As he moves again and becomes more fully awake, I turn slightly to face him, opening my mouth to defend myself against the inevitable scathing comments that I've become familiar with recently. However, the words get caught in my throat at his expression. His eyes are open and gazing right into mine. Before I can do anything, he leans forward, gently pressing his lips to mine for a moment.

"I love you, Lizzie," he whispers roughly, holding me close as his eyes close once more and he drifts off to sleep again.

I remain in that position, facing Max, his arm wrapped around me tightly, as I close my own eyes and allow the small smile on my lips to become a full-fledged grin. Max doesn't hate me and the moment we wake up in the morning, I'm going to show him exactly how sorry I am and how much I love him too.

* * *

When I wake again almost six hours later, I find myself no longer in Max's arms. In fact, it's just the opposite: now he's in _my_ arms. My body is spooned against his back, my left arm threaded beneath his and hand splayed across his bare stomach. My other arm rests above my head, my fingers tangled in his soft hair.

My stomach clenches painfully as I recall the details of our argument on Friday evening; I remember how Max accused me of spending all our money, how he laid into me about spending time with my friends and how I accused him of always inviting Alex over, when I know that she's not here that often anyway. But what's been hurting the most was the fact that, because of all of that, I still haven't been able to share my excitement over my new job with him. God, he doesn't even know what the job is yet, or even which company I'll be working for.

I place a soft kiss to Max's shoulder blade, before carefully extracting my arms from around him and shifting onto my back. I stare up at the ceiling as I contemplate exactly how I'm going to apologise. I become so involved in my feelings that I don't notice when Max stirs and turns over to face me. It's only when his fingers brush my arm, startling me from my intense thoughts that I realise he's awake and watching me.

"Hi," he murmurs, a small smile gracing his masculine features.

"Hi," I return softly, turning onto my side. We stare at each other for several seconds, just savouring the moment. But I can't stay silent for long. "Max…"

"Don't," he silences me with a finger to my lips.

I find myself drawn to his intense gaze, unable to tear my eyes away. I watch as, almost in slow motion, he moves towards me and captures my lips with his own. At first, the sudden contact surprises me, but only a second later, I find myself sighing at the feel of his warm lips caressing mine.

The tenderness of his kiss lasts barely a second before the anticipation becomes too much and passion takes over. It's like, suddenly we can't get enough of each other as Max slides his arm around my waist, roughly pulling me to him, our warm bodies colliding in the centre of the bed.

Before I have time to fully register what's happening, I find myself on my back, Max's large, strong body pressing me against the mattress as his tongue delves inside my mouth and his hands slide beneath my flimsy pyjama top.

I suck in a shaky breath as his fingers graze my sides and then move up to cup my breasts, his thumbs brushing my rapidly hardening nipples. A low moan escapes my mouth and I let my hands drift up over his back. As his hands work their magic, Max's lips move to the sensitive spot on my neck and I arch up off the mattress at the wonderful sensations he's causing inside me.

Without warning, he moves his hands back down to my waist and pulls the top over my head, dropping it to the floor. We both hiss with pleasure as our chests meet, bare skin against bare skin. I slide my hands down to his lower back, briefly letting my fingers dip beneath the waistband of his boxers as his attention turns to pulling my pants down over my hips. Seconds later, we're both naked and I find myself letting out a contented sigh at the feel of being so close with him again.

No more words are spoken as we lose ourselves in each other, making up for two whole days of not touching and barely speaking to one another, and afterwards as we lie together with Max's arms around me, both of us sated and content, I feel more relaxed than I have in days.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, I turn slightly to face my husband.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I owe you an apology," I admit quietly. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted us to fight like that."

"I'm sorry, too," he tells me, but I can tell that he's waiting for more from me.

"Look, I've had some time to think," I say carefully, not wanting to spoil the calm mood. "And I want you to know that I didn't do it intentionally – the money thing, I mean. I honestly didn't realise how much I was spending and how much it was bothering you. I never wanted you to feel like I was a burden to you or anything."

"Lizzie," Max smiles, reaching over to touch my cheek with the back of his fingers. "I should have said something to you before this. Instead, I just let it build up until I got so worked up that I got mad at you and that was stupid of me."

I manage a small smile, "God, we really need to start talking more, don't we? Let's not have any secrets anymore, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," he replies softly. "How about we sit down together later and sort everything out properly? That way we'll know exactly where we both stand on things."

"Okay," I agree happily, leaning up for a kiss. "I can do that."

"Great," murmurs Max, as his lips find mine once more. "But right now, I'd much rather be doing this–"

He deepens the kiss and pulls me on top of him. I straddle his hips and run my hands over his chest, savouring the feel of the muscles flexing beneath his smooth skin. Not breaking our embrace, I lift my hips in preparation, eagerly anticipating the feel of him inside me once again… and suddenly the sound of the phone interrupts us.

"Crap," I mutter as I tear my lips from Max's and reach for the phone on his bedside table. "Hello?"

"Oh my God, Liz; you're never gonna believe this!" comes the excited voice of my best friend.

"Maria?" I question. "What's wrong?"

"I'm getting married, that's what!" she practically screams down the line.

"You're… what?" I exclaim, sitting up fully on Max's chest as he looks up at me with curiosity.

"I'm getting married, Liz! Michael finally proposed!" she cries.

"Oh my God," I murmur. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," she says happily. "Sorry for calling so early…" I glance at the clock. It's eight forty-five. "But I just couldn't wait to tell you!"

"That's great news," I grin down the phone. "I'm so happy for you."

I glance down at my husband, whose expression has changed to one of understanding. As I finish up the call with Maria, promising to call her later to catch up with all the gory details, I watch him suspiciously. He looks like he knows exactly what Maria's big news is.

"Okay, what do you know?" I question as soon as I hang up.

"Me? Nothing," he says quickly. Too quickly.

"You already knew he was gonna propose, didn't you?" I accuse.

He shifts, "Well, I didn't know exactly…" I pin him with a stare and he sighs. "Michael mentioned it when they came to visit the other week, but I didn't know when he was actually going to pop the question," he admits.

"Oh," I say, his reply satisfactory.

"But, as happy I am for them," he continues with a sly grin. "I think we have more pressing issues to attend to right now."

He emphasises his point with a thrust of his hips beneath me and a similar grin spreads across my own face.

"Yeah, I guess we do," I murmur, running my hands down his chest. "We'd better get right on that, hadn't we?"

_TBC_…


	26. Chapter 17

**Part Seventeen**

_**Liz**_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

_Oh my God, I'm going to be sick_, is the first and only thought that runs through my mind as I wake up. Clutching my stomach, I jump out of bed and make a quick dash for the bathroom, practically skidding across the floor as I hurry to reach the toilet bowl before it's too late.

Tears begin to stream down my face as I empty the contents of my stomach (which, at the moment, is very little) into the toilet. God, this is awful. I hate morning sickness.

When it's finally over and the nausea begins to subside, I pull myself up to standing, flush the toilet and rinse my mouth out with water. As I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, my hands placed on the edge of the sink to support myself, I stare at the pale reflection looking back at me. Seeing the dark circles beneath my eyes and lack of colour in my cheeks makes me wonder what happened to the hopeful, excited Liz, who was around just four days ago. The Liz who couldn't wait to tell her fiancé he was going to be a father soon,

Oh, wait I know what happened; she spent three of those four days trying to get hold of said fiancé with no success and got fed up of waiting.

You know, I was so eager for Max to be the first one to know about the baby (apart from Emma, obviously), and when he didn't answer his cell phone or his apartment phone for three days, I was just about ready to give up. Instead of happily breaking the news to the rest of my friends, I was forced to confess my secret to them before I could even tell my baby's father the good news.

On the plus side, though, the second Grace and Lauren found out, they engulfed me in huge hugs and couldn't stop congratulating me. They were so inept at containing their excitement, that when Jack and Becca came round Friday night, they made it impossible for me to hide it any longer, and the evening turned into a big celebration. All my closest friends at Harvard were there, being happy for me, but I still felt terrible and more than a little annoyed at Max for not picking up his phone.

With one last look in the mirror, I make my way out of the bathroom and head down the hall to the kitchen, where I can already hear Grace and Emma chatting away.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" asks Emma as I enter the room and slide into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Not good," I mumble, my hand drifting to my stomach. "Everything just hurts this morning – my head, my tummy… everything."

"Here, maybe this'll help?" she suggests, handing me a glass of strange coloured liquid. I look at it quizzically. "It's ginger ale," she tells me. "I bought some for you yesterday. It's supposed to help with the nausea."

"Thanks," I take it from her, forcing a smile as I take a sip. It doesn't taste great, but maybe it'll help.

* * *

_**Max**_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Morning," smiles Alex, as I stumble into the kitchen.

"Morning," I reply sleepily, as I slump down onto one of the chairs and rub the sleep from my eyes. Last night's movie turned into three and by the time we'd finished watching it was really late, so Alex let me crash on the couch.

"You want some coffee?" she offers.

"Sure," I mumble, resting my head in my hands for a moment.

I hear the sounds of her rustling around the kitchen, presumably for breakfast items, but I don't lift my head until I see a coffee mug being placed in front of me. I reach for the hot drink and glance up just as Alex turns to open the fridge. I stop suddenly, my hand almost knocking the coffee cup over. Oh God, she's dressed in her pyjamas; a pink tank top and three-quarter-length pink pants and her feet are bare… she looks great.

I swallow quickly, averting my gaze and reaching for the coffee once again as I try to dismiss the effect her body is having on me. It's so completely fucked up and wrong that I'm extremely aroused right now.

Shit, what the hell is happening to me?

How is it that I can love Liz Parker with all my heart, yet still be having impure thoughts about another woman? I must be the most despicable man alive.

"You fancy some bacon and eggs?" asks Alex from the fridge.

"Oh, um, yeah," I mutter absently, my gaze drawn to her pert, round bottom. "Bacon and eggs would be great."

"Okay, cool," she replies, pulling the necessary ingredients out of the fridge. As she straightens, my eyes drift upwards to her shoulders and her neck, currently exposed, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She turns to face me then and I have to avert my eyes so that I don't end up staring at her chest.

She moves to the stove and begins fixing breakfast, whilst I sit rigidly at the table and inwardly curse myself for being so stupid and letting this happen. I love my fiancée so much, so why do I want to grab this girl in front of me and lose myself in her, right here, right now?

* * *

_**Liz**_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

I drink as much of the glass of ginger ale as I can before my stomach begins to protest again. I skip breakfast, instead opting to flake out on the couch with a blanket and a multitude of Sunday morning cartoons. As I flick between channels, trying to decide between SpongeBob Squarepants and old episode of RugRats, my hand drifts to my stomach and I rub it comfortingly. For some reason, it feels really sore and tender today.

"Hey, Liz," says Grace, appearing from the kitchen with a half-eaten slice of toast and a glass of orange juice. "You feel like coming shopping with us later?"

"Maybe," I say tiredly, "I'll see how I feel in a little bit."

She sends me a sympathetic smile and slides onto the couch by my feet, "This morning sickness is really kicking your butt, huh?"

"You can say that again," I mutter. "And it's only been a few days so far."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she consoles, rubbing my calf. "Still no luck getting hold of Max?"

"No," I shake my head, as I feel the tears forming in the corner of my eye. "He's not picking up at all; and I wanted him to be the first to know."

"I'm sure he's not doing it deliberately," she says. "It's not like him to ignore your calls. I bet there's a really good explanation for why he hasn't called you back."

"Yeah, I guess," I mutter despondently, suddenly feeling the need to sit up as my belly gives an almost painful twinge.

I swing my legs down to the floor as I pull myself up, wincing as the ache gets a little worse.

"Hey, are you okay?" asks Grace, her expression full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm alright," I tell her, as I suck in a breath. "I'm sure everything's fin –" I stop suddenly as white-hot pain shoots through me. "Oh shit!"

"What? What's wrong?" cries Grace, panicked. "Liz, are you okay?"

"I need Max. Call him… please," I manage through gritted teeth, as I sink to the floor, clutching my stomach.

* * *

**Max**

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

I stare at Alex as she finishes cooking breakfast and suddenly everything becomes too much for me. I can't hold it in anymore. I need to feel her lips on mine. I need to know what it's like to hold her in my arms.

"Here you go," she announces as she places two plates on the table and takes a seat, completely oblivious to my less-than-innocent thoughts.

I don't make a move to pick up the knife and fork in front of me and tuck in. Instead, I continue to stare at her.

"Max?" She's frowning and I can see her lips moving, but whatever she's saying doesn't seem to register… until she swats at my arm with her hand.

"Hey, Max are you going to eat anything this morning, or will you just be watching me eat?" she jokes. I don't smile, nor do I avert my eyes. "You know, you're kinda making me feel self-conscious here," she murmurs with a nervous chuckle, her fork halfway to her mouth.

"Sorry," I mumble absently, not meaning it at all, but managing to finally tear my eyes away and at least make it look like I'm going to start eating. However, the food doesn't reach my mouth. Instead, I simply push it around the plate with my cutlery as I try to decide what my next move will be. Eventually, I put down the knife and fork and just open my mouth.

"Alex…" I start hesitantly.

"Hmm?" she murmurs, as she concentrates on cutting up a piece of bacon.

"Alex," I try again, a little more forcefully. This time she looks up.

"What?"

"Um, I…" I struggle to find the right words. "Well, the thing is…"

"Just spit it out already, Max," she chuckles softly, making eye contact with me. The warmth in her gaze gives me the courage to go on and I move a little closer.

"I've been…thinking…a lot lately and I've been wanting to tell you that –"

"Yes?" she questions, leaning towards me a little.

"Just, um…just this…" I murmur, as I begin to lower my head towards hers.

Before she can say anything else, I swoop in for the kill, capturing her lips with my own and a warm, sweet kiss. At first, she doesn't react; other than a small sound of surprise, but to be honest, I don't really care. All I can think about is the feel of her mouth against mine, and the feelings that accompany it. Gently, I slide one hand up and cup the back of her neck as she finally begins to respond to me. Her hands move to my shoulders as the kiss deepens and I let out a small sigh of both relief and happiness. We continue to kiss for what seems like forever and I can't get enough. Right now, all my thoughts are on what is happening right now. I don't think of my fiancée on the other side of the country; I don't think about my impending wedding; I don't think about anything except kissing Alex Jacobs. That is until her cell phone rings and interrupts us.

"Max…" gasps Alex, as she pulls away from me. "I–I…I'd better get that."

She stands up quickly and crosses the room to where her phone is lying on the counter-top.

"Hello?" she says into the receiver, her voice slightly breathless. "Oh, um, yeah…he's here," she says a moment later, a puzzled look on her face. "It's for you," she tells me, holding the phone out to me. "It's some girl."

"Oh, okay," I murmur in confusion as I take the phone from her. "Hello?"

"Max? Is that you?" comes a frantic female voice on the other end.

"Yeah, this is Max," I reply cautiously.

"Max, it's Becca," she says, sounding relieved.

"Becca?" I question. Why is Becca calling me? And on Alex's phone no less? "How did you get this number?"

"You weren't picking up, so I had to call your roommate, John and he found this number for me," she exclaims. "God, I've been trying to get hold of you all morning!"

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Max, you have to get out here as soon as possible," she tells me, her voice urgent. "It's Liz. She's in the hospital."

_TBC_…


	27. Chapter 18

**Part Eighteen**

_**Max **_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

'Liz is in the hospital'

The words echo back and forth in my mind.

"What is it? What's happened?" I cry in alarm, sudden overwhelming fear for Liz gripping my chest. "She's alright, isn't she? Please tell me she's alright."

"Well," Becca hesitates for a second. "We…we're not quite sure yet, but she collapsed in pain earlier and now she's unconscious." I frown, her response seeming kind of vague, as if she knows what's wrong but isn't telling me everything. "But, Max, she asked for you right before she passed out. Please, you have to come to Boston."

Oh my God, what have I just done?

I send a brief glance towards Alex as the reality of the situation comes crashing down on me. She looks bewildered and slightly confused.

God, I think I've just done something monumentally stupid. Here I am, thinking I'm falling for another girl, when my fiancée is lying unconscious in a hospital bed on the other side of the country. What is wrong with me?

"Of course," I tell Becca quickly, averting my eyes away from Alex. "I'll be on the next plane out."

"Oh, thank God," she sighs on the other end. "You don't know how worried I was that I wouldn't be able to track you down."

I open my mouth to explain about the phones being broken, but close it again quickly when I realise that it can wait.

"Which hospital is she in?" I ask instead.

"We're at Cambridge Hospital, you know, the one on Cambridge Street," she tells me.

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," I reply, my voice coming out somewhat more calmly than it should.

"Thank you, Max," she says gratefully before we say goodbye and hang up.

I press the 'end call' button and just stare down at the phone for a moment as I try to compose my thoughts. Liz is hurt; she's in the hospital, and I'm not there with her. My attempt to keep the imminent tears at bay is unsuccessful and by the time I look up at Alex again, I can feel them begin to roll down my cheeks.

"Alex –" I start uncomfortably, but she cuts me off.

"Liz is in the hospital?" she asks softly. I nod helplessly. "What happened?"

"I don't know exactly; apparently she collapsed in pain this morning and is now unconscious. I have to go see her."

She looks at me, her expression a mixture of sadness and understanding, "I know you do, Max."

"Alex, I'm sorry," I tell her firmly, realising that I need to set the record straight. "What happened between us just now…I shouldn't have… It won't happen again."

"Max, I'm not even going to pretend I know what just happened or that I understand why you kissed me, because I don't. But I do think that you're confused or going through something right now and you're not thinking straight."

"Alex, I –" I begin, but don't get any further as she crosses the kitchen and comes to stand in front of me.

"Look," she starts, gently extracting the phone from my hand. "I'm also not going to pretend that I haven't thought about you in a more-than-friendly way at one time or another; heck, the first time I met you in the library, I was going to ask you out," she admits with a small chuckle and my eyes widen in disbelief. "But when I saw how in love you were with Liz, I realised that it wasn't ever going to happen."

"Alex, I know I shouldn't and I know it's wrong, but lately I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," I admit. "All I've been able to think about the last few days is what it would be like to kiss you; to hold you in my arms…and it's so confusing. On the one hand, I'm finding myself attracted to you, but on the other… I love Liz, with all my heart. I've loved her for so long and I'm finally going to marry her. I can't just throw that away."

"Max," murmurs Alex, her expression sympathetic. "It's just a crush, okay? You're just… experiencing conflicting emotions, I guess; but I think you're reading too much into it. You belong with Liz; you know that and I know that. This–" she gestures between our bodies, "whatever it is, just isn't worth it and you know that."

"You're right," I sigh, her words sinking in. "I can't let this…attraction, or whatever I've been feeling for you lately… come between Liz and I. God, she's hurt and unconscious and I need to be with her right now. She's the love of my life and I don't know what I'd do if I lost her."

"Go to Boston, Max," she tells me softly. "Go be with the woman you love, okay?"

"Okay," I agree with a nod as I take a step back from her and run my hands through my hair. "Look, can we just forget this ever happened and go back to normal? Please?"

"It's forgotten," she says sincerely. "We're friends and that's all we ever were or will ever be."

"Thank you," I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Are you going to tell Liz about this?" she enquires then.

"I don't know," I shrug helplessly. "I don't know what's wrong with her, but I doubt she'll be in a state to discuss anything like that right now anyway. Half of me thinks I should tell her, that she deserves to know, but the other half thinks 'why worry her with this?' It's not like it's going to happen again, so what's the point in bringing it up?"

She nods half-heartedly and I frown, "You don't agree?"

She sighs, "I just think maybe keeping this from her is going to do more harm than good, Max."

"Maybe," I admit, "but I don't think I could bear to see the look on her face if I told her."

She gives me a sympathetic smile, "You know what? Just be there for Liz right now. You can work out the rest afterwards."

I nod. "Okay. Well, I guess I'd better go catch a plane, then," I say, sucking in a breath to compose myself, before turning towards the door. "Thank you, Alex."

"No problem," she smiles, as I grab my jacket from the back of the chair I left it on last night. "Oh, and just so you don't feel too bad or embarrassed about earlier? If you weren't already head over heels in love with Liz Parker, I might just have taken you up on that offer."

I let out a small chuckle, as her words ease the mood slightly, and nod as I leave the room. However, my smile disappears the second I close her apartment door behind me and the only thought now running through my head is that I have to get to Liz.

* * *

_**Liz **_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

My eyes slowly flutter open and the first thing I notice is that I'm laying on a hard bed and everything around me is white. The second thing is that I hurt; not all over, but my abdomen and lower back are definitely sore. The third thing I become aware of is that I'm not alone. Becca is sitting on one side of me, Jack is on the other side and my roommates are standing just off to the side.

"Lizzie?" questions Becca with a shaky smile.

"Wh-where am I?" I ask in confusion, as I look between her and Jack.

"You're in hospital," she informs me. "You collapsed at home this morning; you were in pain and you were bleeding."

"What happened?" I ask, looking up at my friends as an awful feeling of dread washes over me. "Is-is the baby okay?"

Becca's smile drops and she looks down. My heart sinks as I look to Jack and find him watching me, sympathy evident in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie," she whispers sadly. "You had a miscarriage."

"What?" I gasp, bringing a hand to my mouth as I shake my head. "No, I-I can't have… I didn't even have the chance to tell Max yet… God, this can't be happening."

"I'm so sorry," says Becca, linking her fingers with mine. I feel the sting of tears in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over any second.

"No, this isn't fair," I whisper desperately. "Why?"

Becca just shakes her head and I avert my eyes, instead taking in the mournful expressions of my friends around me.

"God, this is all my fault, isn't it?" I cry. "I should have known; I should have taken care of myself properly. All this time, I haven't been eating healthy enough and I've even been drinking alcohol. Shit!"

"Lizzie," speaks up Jack, taking my hand in his. "It's not your fault, okay? The doctor said there was nothing you could have done to prevent it happening. It just wasn't meant to be."

I nod tightly, wanting desperately to believe him, but not quite able to accept that it wasn't my fault in some way.

"I need Max," I manage as the tears begin to roll down my cheeks. "I have to see him."

"Don't worry, Lizzie," murmurs Becca. "I managed to get hold of him earlier. He's on a plane as we speak."

"Does he know about…?"

She shakes her head, "No, no, he doesn't; not yet. He just knows that you're in the hospital."

I nod, "Good, I need to tell him about this myself."

"Of course," she agrees with a sympathetic smile, squeezing my arm comfortingly.

Suddenly, the door opens and a female doctor walks in.

"Ah, Liz, you're awake," she says kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore. Tired. Upset," I state softly through my tears.

"I'm sure you are," she says sympathetically. "I'm Doctor Harris, I've been looking after you since your friends brought you in this morning"

I just nod, feeling too shell-shocked to react to her statement.

"Look, I know this is hard for you, but I just need to ask you some questions and check you over."

"Okay," I agree quietly, looking uncertainly to Becca for a moment. She gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We'll be right outside, okay?" she murmurs softly.

"Can you stay with me?" I ask timidly.

She glances over at the doctor, who nods her consent, and then offers me a smile.

"Sure."

I turn to my roommates, as they make a move to leave the room, "Thanks, guys; for being here for me."

"No problem, Liz," says Emma.

"We're your friends, Liz," adds Grace. "Of course we're here for you."

"And that's the truth," puts in Lauren with a smile.

I watch for a moment, as they head for the door, before facing Jack.

"You'll be fine, Liz; I know it," he murmurs softly. I nod. He stands and leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I'll be right outside," he whispers, before straightening up. As he walks to the door, he sends a quick glance in my direction and exchanges a meaningful glance with Becca before leaving us alone with the doctor.

The next twenty minutes seem to pass extremely slowly, as Doctor Harris explains what exactly happened to me and why it happened. She assures me that the miscarriage was in no way caused by anything I did or didn't do and that it was simply a result of the baby not being able to survive naturally. I feel numb as I answer her questions about my health and family medical history; as I describe how and when I found out I was pregnant and as I tell her what symptoms I've been experiencing the last few days. She goes on to check me over for any remaining pain or discomfort and by the time she's finished, I feel exhausted and overwhelmed by it all. All I want is for this to be over. All I want is Max.

When Doctor Harris leaves and Becca and I are alone, I can't hold my emotions in any longer and I break down in her arms. The numbness begins to dissipate, leaving a big gaping hole in my chest; I may have only known about the baby for a few days, but that was long enough for me to become attached to it.

A few minutes later, the door creaks open and though my tears, I can see Jack entering the room. His expression is sympathetic as he makes his way over to us and I suddenly find myself engulfed in a hug from both sides.

The two of them, along with Grace, Emma and Lauren, stay with me until late afternoon, when the nurses basically kick them out. I feel the loneliness creep up on me the second they leave the room and I close my eyes in an attempt to block the distressing emotions that threaten to spill over. It doesn't work and instead, I find myself alternating between staring at the ceiling and sneaking glances at the small clock on the wall.

By seven pm, I'm just about ready to either burst or scream in frustration at the unfairness of it all, when a movement from the door catches my eye. My heart skips a beat as I notice the figure standing in the doorway, a mixture of worry and fear evident in his weary features.

It's Max.

_TBC_…


	28. Chapter 19

**Part Nineteen**

_**Max**_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

Tears fill my eyes when I lay my eyes on Liz, lying in that hospital bed, her features pale and drawn. She looks so lost and scared and my heart just breaks for her. I have to suck in a sharp breath when she turns her head toward me and our eyes meet for the first time in two months.

"Lizzie…" I whisper softly, quickly making my way across the room to her side. "What happened?" I ask, sliding into the chair beside her bed and taking her small, cold hand in both of mine. I bring her hand to my mouth, pressing a comforting kiss to her knuckles as she just watches me, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Max, you're here," she murmurs, almost in wonder.

"Of course I am," I smile. "You needed me."

At that, her face crumples and she begins to sob. For a second, all I can do is watch as she breaks down, but suddenly my senses kick in and I move onto the bed, pulling her into my arms, cradling her small body against my chest.

"Shh, you're alright; it's going to be alright," I murmur over and over, as I rock her soothingly. "You're okay and that's all that matters."

She shakes her head, her sobs lessening slightly, "No, it's not, Max."

"What do you mean?" I ask softly. "What happened, Lizzie?"

She sniffles and pulls away from me a little.

"I've been trying to get hold of you for days, Max, but you weren't answering your phone," she says quietly.

I frown. What does that have to do with her being in the hospital?

"My cell phone is broken, Liz," I explain. "And our landline got cut off because Mark forgot to pay the bill. I'm sorry."

"I had something important to tell you, Max and I couldn't get hold of you," she says, more forcefully this time.

"I'm sorry, Liz," I tell her sincerely. "What did you want to tell me?"

She looks down for a moment, before almost whispering, "That I was pregnant."

What?

She's… we're having a baby?

Fuck me!

"You're pregnant?" I ask faintly, feeling slightly shell-shocked.

But she shakes her head, "I _was_ pregnant, Max. I lost the baby this morning. It was a miscarriage. "

"Oh, Lizzie," I murmur, tightening my arms around her as she buries her head in my chest, her shoulders shaking once more. "I'm so sorry."

Oh my God. My thoughts are just one big jumble in my mind. I can't get my head around this. _Liz was pregnant. She lost the baby._ Those two statements just seem to echo around my head, along with the inevitable, _and what was I doing when this happened? I was kissing another girl._

Shit!

But I guess none of that matters right now, because Liz is my priority here and I have to help her get through this.

"What did the doctor say?" I ask gently, not wanting to upset her further.

"That there was nothing I could have done to prevent it; that it wasn't meant to be and also that I have to stay here overnight for observation," she manages through her tears. "It's just not fair. I wanted to tell you about the baby so badly, Max," she says, her words muffled against my chest. "But I couldn't, and now it's gone."

I close my eyes at the distraught tone in her voice and I feel my own tears begin to slip down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry; I'm so sorry," I repeat softly, apologising for much more than her not being able to reach me. "I should have been here for you."

"Just hold me, Max," she whispers, her fingers clutching at my jacket. "Please?"

"Always and forever, Lizzie," I murmur, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

I shift further up the bed so that I can lean against the headboard, allowing Liz to settle against me as she cries. Eventually, her sobs begin to subside and her breathing evens out. I look down to find her eyes closed and her body relaxed. She's asleep.

* * *

_**Liz**_

_**Sunday March 12**__**th**__** 2006**_

I don't know how long I sleep for, but when I finally open my eyes, I feel rested and slightly more alert than earlier. I'm lying on my side, with one hand tucked into my chest. My other hand is encased in Max's. He's sitting on the same chair that Becca occupied earlier and watching me intently. I almost can't believe he's really here and it's not just wishful thinking on my part.

When he sees that I'm awake, he smiles gently and leans forward to kiss my knuckles just like he did when he first arrived. I try to return the smile, but I can't. I just feel empty.

Instead, I avert my eyes to the clock on the wall. It's nine-forty pm; I've been asleep for almost two hours.

"How are you feeling?" he questions softly.

I shake my head, as I begin to feel choked-up again, but manage to say a few words, very similar to those I said to the doctor a few hours ago.

"Sore, tired…guilty."

His face softens, "Oh, Lizzie, please don't feel guilty about this. It wasn't your fault."

"It feels like it was," I confess softly. "If only I'd done something different. If I had realised sooner, maybe I could have prevented it."

"Don't think like that," he says, shaking his head. "It's no one's fault, okay?"

"I just feel so empty," I admit. "I only found out I was pregnant a few days ago, but that was enough time to get used to the idea." I take a deep breath as I prepare for what I'm going to say next. I did some thinking before he arrived and in that time, I realised what I needed to do now. "Max, I need you to help me get through this, okay?"

"Of course," he tells me firmly. "Whatever it takes."

"I can't go back to feeling the way I did last year," I tell him. "I just can't. I don't think I could survive it a second time. I need you to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Liz, I promise I'll try to help you," he says uncertainly. "But, I'm not sure it can work like that. You need to stop it yourself. It's your body, your mind and you're the only person who has control over that."

I nod. He's right; it is something that I have to overcome myself, but I don't think I can do that alone.

"It's just…before you got here, when I was alone in here, I could feel those old feelings returning… and I hated it. I can't let myself fall backwards again," I confess.

This time, it's Max who nods, "Okay, Liz. I understand and I'll do whatever I can to help you through this."

"Thank you."

He smiles and leans forward to kiss my cheek, "You look pretty tired. Why don't you get some more sleep?"

"Can you stay with me?" I ask timidly.

He nods, "Of course, as long as they don't kick me out."

Thanks," I murmur. "How did you get in anyway? The nurse told the others to leave hours ago."

"I explained that you were my fiancée and that I hadn't seen you in months," he says with a smile. "But that didn't work very well, so I resorted to begging and pleading until I eventually wore them down and they gave in."

I give a small smile at his admission, before closing my eyes and trying to relax; but sleep just does not want to come. I just can't get thoughts of the baby out of my head. Eventually, I have to ask Max to talk to me about what he's been doing lately – anything to get my mind off the events of today. He seems a little hesitant and uncomfortable at first, but in the end, he begins to talk to me about life at UNM over the last few weeks.

I drift off about halfway through his recount of the soccer match that he went to with John a couple of weeks ago – the one I'd sent him tickets for as a Valentine's gift – and when I wake again, it's morning and Max is nowhere to be seen. For a moment, I panic, believing myself to be all alone once again, but then I see his dark jacket flung across the back of the chair and I breathe a sigh of relief. He's still here.

I hear the sound of a throat clearing from the other side of the room and I turn my head to see Max smiling gently at me from the doorway, two cups in his hands.

"Morning," he says softly as he comes to sit beside me once again, placing the cups on the table by my bed. "I brought you some orange juice."

"Thank you," I murmur throatily.

"How are you feeling?" he asks then.

I shrug, "Better than yesterday, but still not great. My heart… it hurts," I admit sadly. "It feels heavy."

"Hey," he murmurs, reaching over to take my hand in his. "I know it's hard, but I'm here for you, okay? We'll get through this together." I nod, my throat clogged with emotion. "I just spoke to your doctor," he continues. "She said she'd like to check you over again, but you should be able to go home this morning."

"Okay," I whisper, feeling comforted by the knowledge that he will be coming home with me.

He smiles softly and just sits with me until Dr. Harris comes in to talk with me again. She goes over a few things with me about my recovery and what to do if I experience any side effects in the next few days, but by ten-thirty, she has discharged me and Max and I are in a taxi back to my apartment.

I'm so glad he's here with me right now.

_TBC_…


	29. Interlude IX

**Interlude Nine**

_**Max**_

_**Present Day – Mid November 2006**_

I glance anxiously at the clock on my desk. It's twelve-fifteen pm and I'm waiting on a phone call from Liz. She just started her new job today and she said she'd call me on her lunch break to let me know how it was going. It actually felt a little strange this morning, both of us getting up early for work and pulling on smart suits. The weirdest thing though, was having Liz drive me to work and dropping me off before carrying on somewhere else. It makes sense though, because my office is only three blocks away, whilst the lab she's now working for is just outside of town. It was basically an unspoken agreement that from now on, she'll be taking the car and I'll either walk to work or get a ride from her.

As I wait for the phone to ring, I turn my attention to a picture on the desk. It's one of my favourite photos, so much so that I actually had two copies made and I keep one at home and one in the office. A lovely old lady at the Old Mill in Arkansas took it just after Liz and I got together that summer. We have our arms wrapped around each other and we look really happy together. I smile at the fond memories of that trip – the summer that started it all.

Man, we've come along way since then; we've each made it through four years of college, we've coped with a long distance relationship, together we've dealt with a long-distance relationship, depression, a break up, attraction for other people and a miscarriage; yet some how we've managed to survive it all, together, and now we're married. Looking back on that time we spent together, touring the country, I almost can't believe how far Liz and I have come. But you know what? I wouldn't change it for the world.

The phone rings abruptly and I jump in my seat, so involved in my own thoughts that the sudden noise startles me. I stare at the phone blankly, my mind gradually returning to the present, although it takes me a moment to realise that it's probably Liz. Running a hand through my hair, I catch James, one of my colleagues, smirking at me as I reach over to pick it up.

"Hello?" I murmur into the receiver.

"Hello, handsome," comes Liz's teasing over the line.

"Hey, gorgeous," I return with a smug grin in James' direction. He scowls; he's just bitter because I have a beautiful wife at home and he's currently single and ever so slightly desperate. "How are things going so far?"

"Pretty good actually," she says and I can hear the smile in her voice. "It's really only been induction stuff so far, you know, being shown around the lab, meeting my colleagues and everything, but I think I'm gonna like working here."

"That's great," I smile. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"I am, but you know there is something that has been annoying me today…"

"What?" I question quickly, my good mood suddenly turning to worry.

Her voice lowers as she states, "I am feeling [i]_so[/i]_ horny right now."

"Oh," I gulp, my eyes widening at the blunt declaration. "So, um…"

"I mean," she continues, as if I haven't spoken. "If I were at home, I could… you know… take care of it – get rid of the tension myself –" I suck in a breath and close my eyes at the sudden mental image of her 'relieving the tension'. "But I'm stuck here for another five hours and there's nothing I can do about it."

Oh. My. God.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat as I feel the effect her words are having on my own body.

"I, um…" I swallow and lower my voice to just above a whisper. "I wish I could help you out with that, but I think we're both pretty tied up right now."

"I know, Max," she murmurs, her tone resigned to that fact. "But I'm counting down the hours until we can… remedy the situation."

"Me too, Lizzie. Me too," I mutter, running my hand through my hair for the second time in five minutes.

"I guess I should leave you to it then," she says a moment later, a hint of mischief in her voice. "Don't want you getting too hot and bothered right there in your office."

"Hey, you're one to talk," I retort. "You brought it up in the first place."

"And I have to deal with it, too," she returns with a laugh.

"You know, you didn't _have_ to say anything, though," I mumble in annoyance.

"Bye, Max," she giggles. "I'll see you at home."

"Bye… _sweetie,_ I add for emphasis, before hanging up the phone.

With a deep breath to calm my now raging hormones, I lift my head to find James watching me with a knowing smirk. I shoot him a glare and turn my attention to the pile of papers in front of me, although I can still feel his gaze on me. Crap, after talking to Liz, the plan was to get away from the office for a bit – go grab some lunch from the deli across the street and sit in the park to eat it – however, judging by the current state of my lower anatomy, I don't think I'll be leaving my desk for a while.

* * *

"That was so not funny earlier," I declare as I enter our apartment to find Liz already relaxing on the sofa. I had to stay late this afternoon, stuck in a meeting that ran over, so Liz got home before me. I shrug out of my jacket and hang it on one of the hooks by the door, before making my way over to the couch. She smirks as I flop down beside her, kick my shoes off and prop my feet up on the coffee table.

"Aww, I'm sorry," she grins as she curls up against me, resting her hand on my thigh. I wrap my arm around her and hug her to my side, trying to ignore the sensations that shoot through my leg at the contact of her hand on me.

"Yeah, I bet," I mutter under my breath.

"Hey, I heard that," she exclaims good-naturedly.

"Sorry," I add quickly, more out of instinct and habit than anything else. "Come here," I add, changing the subject and leaning down to capture her lips with mine.

She moans against my lips and shifts on the couch so that she's more or less facing me and I can deepen the kiss.

"Mmm, Max," she mumbles, her hands sliding round my neck. My arms encircle her waist and I pull her closer, enjoying the feel of her. As if they have a mind of their own, my hands grasp her waist and I lift her up into my lap. Liz lets out a grunt of satisfaction as her thighs straddle my hips, effectively trapping my more-than-evident arousal between our bodies.

We make love right there on the couch, losing ourselves in each other as if we haven't done so in forever, even though it's only been approximately eighteen hours since we were last intimate. Afterwards, as we stretch out together across the seats, Liz resting comfortably on top of me, I can't help but wonder if I'm always going to want her this much. The way I'm feeling right now, I don't think I could go more than twenty-four hours without touching her.

"Max?" she murmurs from her position against my chest

"Yeah?" I reply softly, gently running my fingers through her hair, smoothing it out.

"Do you still think about what happened?" she asks timidly.

"What happened…?" I question with a frown, not entirely sure what she means.

"The baby," she clarifies softly.

"Oh," I whisper in realisation. "Yeah… yeah, I do. Sometimes."

"Me, too," she admits. "Actually, I've been thinking about it a lot the last couple of weeks."

"You have?" I question softly, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Yeah," she murmurs. "I was eating lunch in the park with Julie the other day and it seemed like everywhere I looked, there were mothers with their babies and young children."

"Oh, Liz," I say sympathetically.

"It just made me think of our baby and how he or she would have been a month old by now," she sniffs.

"Hey, it's okay; don't cry," I murmur, hugging her tightly. "You know, what happened back in March… it was just one of those things, something we had no control over, but we have plenty of time in the future to think about having another child. It will happen for us, I promise, Liz."

She nods slightly, but I can feel the dampness of tears against my chest.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She finally lifts her head to look at me, "But what if I can't do it again in the future, Max? What if I just can't handle it? I'm not sure I want to risk losing a child again."

"Look," I say, lifting her chin with my fingers so that she's looking into my eyes. "Let's not think that far ahead right now, okay? Let's just take it one day at a time and we'll deal with things when the time comes."

"Okay," she nods eventually with a small smile.

I smile in return and urge her to relax once more. I let out a small sigh and close my eyes as I rest my cheek against the top of her head, stroking her back gently. I know that Liz does sometimes have doubts about the future and that she worries that history could repeat itself, but I am determined to love and support her through thick and thin.

_TBC…_


	30. Chapter 20

**Part Twenty**

_**Max**_

_**Monday March 13**__**th**__** 2006**_

Liz and I arrive at her apartment mid-morning to find all of her friends huddled together in the living room. I see Becca and Jack standing in the middle of the living area, whilst Tim and Kelly are sat together on the couch. There are three other girls whom I've never met before, but I assume are Liz's roommates, Grace, Lauren and Emma.

"Hey, guys," says Liz quietly as I gently lead her inside the apartment.

"Liz," says Becca, moving towards us and pulling Liz into a hug. "Hey, Max, thanks for coming," she adds when she releases my fiancée.

"Hi, Becca," I greet with a meaningful glance.

"We called the hospital last night to see how you were," she tells Liz, "but they said you had a special visitor, so we knew you were okay."

"Yeah," says Liz, looking up at me with a tiny smile. "He's been great."

"Thanks," I murmur, squeezing her hand in mine.

"How are you feeling, Liz?" questions Jack from the centre of the room.

"I'm okay, I guess," shrugs Liz. "Well, as good as can be expected, anyway."

At her soft words, I slip my hand from hers and wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as I press a kiss to the top of her head.

"I want to say thank you to all of you for taking care of Liz yesterday," I say sincerely, "and I'm sure Liz appreciates your help and concern…" I feel Liz nod against me, "but I think she needs some time alone right now to process everything."

"Of course," nods Becca, and there are murmurs of agreement from everyone else. "Just know that we're here if you need us, okay, Lizzie?"

"Thanks, Bex," murmurs Liz from beside me. "Thanks, guys."

"Come on, let's go get you some clean clothes," I say to Liz.

"Okay," she agrees. "My room's this way."

We leave the others in the living room and make our way through the apartment to Liz's bedroom. I close the door behind us and Liz exhales heavily, sagging against me as she buries her face in my chest. My arms immediately come around her, rubbing her back soothingly as she takes slow, deep breaths. Her arms snake up around my neck and we simply stand together for several minutes, our bodies locked in a tight embrace. It feels so good to hold her in my arms again; it's like coming home; it's where I belong.

Being here in Cambridge with Liz seems like a completely different world to the one I left behind in New Mexico. My thoughts briefly drift to Alex and the conversation we had just before I left. Looking back on it now, especially from so far away, I realise that what I did yesterday was incredibly stupid. How on earth did I get it into my head that I wanted to be with Alex? Liz is the only one I can see myself spending the rest of my life with. Liz is the only one I love and the shock of finding out she was in the hospital just reinforced that for me.

It is in this moment that I realise I can't tell Liz about this, at least not right now. It would only make things more difficult and frankly, I don't believe she needs any more worry that she already has to deal with. Alex is my friend, that's all she'll ever be and I am going to make sure that she stays that way. There's no point bringing it up and putting ideas in her head needlessly. After all, she's got enough on her mind right now without me adding to the equation. She's going through something no woman should ever have to go through and she's going to need my full support.

"Max," murmurs Liz against my neck a few minutes later.

"Yeah?" I whisper as she pulls back slightly to look up at me.

"I'm glad you're here."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," I tell her honestly.

I lift one of my hands from around her waist and graze her cheek with the back of my fingers.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Liz. I love you so much and I hate to see you hurting like this," I say softly.

She nods, her eyes glimmering with tears. "I love you, too, Max."

Just seeing her looking up at me like that, her expression vulnerable and a little scared, brings everything to the forefront and I suddenly find myself overwhelmed with emotion. I feel so many things all at once: relief that Liz is okay, sadness that such a terrible thing had to happen to her, grief over the fact that until yesterday I was going to be a father, love for Liz and for the child we lost, but most of all, I feel guilt; guilt that I allowed myself to think of another woman the way I should only be thinking about Liz, guilt that instead of being here for Liz and putting her first over the last few days, I was contemplating the possibility that I was falling for Alex and guilt that I actually acted on those feelings and kissed her.

God, everything's just hitting home all at once for me. Liz was pregnant with my child; a little boy or girl – a perfect mixture of the both of us – who I would have loved with all my heart, but now he or she has suddenly been taken away from us and I can barely even get my head around that.

I feel the sting of tears pricking my eyes and I blink as I attempt to will them away. I gaze into Liz's similarly watery eyes as I lower my head towards hers. I capture her lips in a sweet kiss that is both comforting and meaningful at the same time. It's my reassurance to her that she's not alone; that I'm here to help her through this and that I love her.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask gently as I run my hands down her arms and link my fingers with hers.

"Not really, but I guess I should," answers Liz from her relaxed position between my legs as she rests her head back against my shoulder.

After we pulled out of our embrace earlier, I encouraged Liz to take a bath and get into some fresh clothes. I ran the bath for her and helped her out of the sweater top and jeans she'd been wearing yesterday. She was still in some pain, so I helped her into the bath and then sat with her until she'd finished. Afterwards, I wrapped her in the towelling robe I bought for her last year and led her back into her bedroom. She didn't make a move to get dressed, but instead just perched on the edge of the bed and watched at me tiredly. My heart broke to see her looking so dejected and miserable, and in an attempt to take her mind off things, I offered to brush out her hair and help her relax.

Fifteen minutes later, the hairbrush was put to one side and we shifted on the bed so that I was propped up against the headboard and Liz sat between my legs.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," I assure her gently. "I just think maybe it's a good idea."

"I know it is," she says, "but I'm not sure I can."

"Okay, how about I start and if there's anything you don't want to talk about, you just tell me?"

"Okay," she nods.

"So, um, how did you find out… about the baby, I mean?" I ask hesitantly, for a moment wondering if she's really okay with this.

"I, um," she starts quietly. "About ten days ago, I got sick. I was throwing up all the time and at first I thought I had a bug or something, but when Emma came into the bathroom on Tuesday morning and suggested maybe I was pregnant, I began to wonder. At first I told her I couldn't be, but then I realised I hadn't had a period since before Christmas. We bought a test that day, well three tests actually, and they were all positive."

"Wow," I exhale, everything suddenly seeming more real. "How did you feel when you found out?"

"At first I was in denial. I was sure I couldn't be pregnant, because I hadn't been with you in months, but then everything fell into place; the fact that I'd been feeling really tired and generally not great for week and the fact that I had missed two periods… it all made sense. It took me a whole day to get my head around the idea, but by Wednesday afternoon, I was pretty excited about it. I wanted to tell you before anyone else, but when I tried to call you, I couldn't get through."

I close my eyes in regret, "I'm so sorry about that, Liz. If I'd known, I would have made an effort to contact you."

"You couldn't help it," she shrugs, although I can hear the disappointment in her tone.

"I wonder when it happened," I muse in an attempt to change the subject slightly.

"It was on New Year's," she murmurs softly. "When your parents were out of town."

"How do you know it was that night?" I ask, my cheeks heating up slightly at the memory. "I seem to remember we rarely used condoms at all that week. It could have been any night."

"No," Liz shakes her head. "It was that night. That was the only day during the vacation that I forgot to take my pill. I didn't realise I hadn't taken it at first and then when I did, I didn't think much of it, but obviously it was a big deal."

"Oh," I exhale, for lack of anything else to say in reply.

"God, Max, I hadn't planned on having a baby yet, but when it actually happened, I was so happy… and now…" she stops, her shoulders shaking with fresh tears.

"Hey, don't cry," I comfort, wrapping our entwined hands around her. "It just wasn't meant to be right now. It's sad and unfair, but we have to think about the future now. I guess playing 'what if?' isn't going to get us anywhere."

She half-scoffs, half-sobs, "God, you sound like it doesn't matter to you that we just lost a baby, our first child."

I sit up straight at her accusation, my throat clogged with emotion, "Of course it matters to me, Liz; I could have been a father in a few months! But I've only known about the baby for a few hours and you've only known for a week. I know it sounds harsh, but that's not very long to get attached to a child. It was just something that happened and all we can do now is get through the pain and move on."

"I know that, I do; but it's going to be hard," she says softly.

"Look, I'm going to stay here with you this week, okay?" I inform her. "I don't have to be back in Albuquerque until next Monday."

"But what about your parents?" she questions. "Weren't they expecting you home for Spring Break?"

"It's okay, I called them from the hospital last night when you were asleep. I told them there'd been a change of plans and that I was visiting you instead."

"Did you tell them about – "

"No," I say quickly. "I didn't want to say anything without your consent."

"Thank you," she murmurs.

"No problem," I say sincerely. "Come on, I think that's enough talking for now. How about we get you dressed and get out of this room for a bit?" I suggest. "I'm sure the others are anxious to see how you're doing."

"Okay," she nods.

I help her into a clean outfit and, hand in hand, we leave her room and head to the living room. Liz's friends, minus Tim, Kelly and Lauren (who had to get to class) are still there, although they're all watching TV when we enter the room. They welcome Liz with friendly hugs and smiles and really make an effort to take her mind off things. I watch her interact with them with a small smile on my face. It's going to be tough, but I'm positive we'll both get through this.

_TBC_…


	31. Chapter 21

**Part Twenty-One**

_**Liz**_

_**Friday March 17**__**th**__** 2006**_

I wake with a sudden muffled cry and a feeling of panic in my chest, my breath coming in short gasps as I try to adjust to the disorientation of being suddenly pulled from a deep sleep. I shift onto my back as I place one hand against my chest in a calming gesture. I can feel my heart beating rapidly and I suck in a couple of deep breaths to slow it down. My breathing finally returns to normal and I relax a little, but unfortunately the memories of my dream remain, leaving me feeling scared and vulnerable. I turn onto my side and press my body up against Max, who is sleeping peacefully beside me. As I slide under his arm and rest my head on his chest, he shifts a little and tightens his arm around me, effectively cocooning my body against his.

I curl up beside him and shut my eyes tightly in an attempt to rid my mind of the nightmare that woke me up. It was horrible; I kept reliving the last two weeks, from finding out I was pregnant but not being able to tell Max, to the sharp pain I felt in my belly just before I passed out, to finding out that the baby was gone. Fortunately, I find myself comforted slightly by his warm embrace and actually manage to drift off to sleep again.

However, there's one thought on my mind as I relax against him: How on earth am I going to survive when he leaves in two days?

* * *

"Hey, sleepy head, it's time to get up," comes a soft voice from just above my head, although I'm more aware of the vibration it causes beneath my cheek than the actual words themselves.

"Hmm," I mumble, keeping my eyes shut as I press my face against Max's chest. "I can't…"

"You can't?" he repeats, his tone slightly amused.

"I don't want to," I clarify, completely serious. It's true; I don't think I can even face getting out of bed today, let alone actually leaving the house. "I just wanna stay here."

"Lizzie," he murmurs gently, as he moves so that my head buries into the pillow instead and he's facing me head on. "I know this is hard for you and that you'd much rather curl up in bed and forget about the rest of the world, but you're gonna have to get up sometime."

"I don't think I can," I sniffle, lifting my head to look at him with tears in my eyes.

"Hey," he says softly, cupping my face with one hand, his fingers lightly stroking my cheek. "Look, I can't be here all the time to make sure you do everything you need to, okay? I can only stay until Sunday, you know that, Liz. You've already missed almost a week of classes and I know you can't afford to miss anymore, so you need to be strong right now, for both of us."

"I know," I manage through my tears. "But, that place… it brings back memories I'd rather forget. I don't know if I can handle it a second time."

"Look, I'll be with you the whole time, okay? You don't have anything to worry about," he assures me softly.

I give a small, defeated nod and he smiles at me gratefully before leaning in and pressing a tender kiss to my lips.

We lie together for a few more minutes, until Max realises the time and forces me out of bed. He fixes some toast for us, while I take a shower and get dressed and within forty-five minutes, we've left the apartment and are headed across campus to a building I've been avoiding like the plague for the last few months: the university counselling service.

I've spent most of the week arguing that I don't need to see anyone and that I'm perfectly capable of recovering without talking to a professional, but Max was adamant that I get some help. Even though I kinda knew he was right, it took a lot for me to admit that, and so it took me four days to book an appointment with my old counsellor, Dr. Jones.

When we get there, Max joins me in her office for the appointment; after all, this does involve both of us this time. The doctor smiles at both of us as we walk in, and spends the first few minutes asking how I've been getting on over the last few months. I explain that things have been going well and that Max and I are getting married, and she offers her congratulations. She asks why I've come to see her today and with a reassuring smile and squeeze of the hand from Max, I begin to tell her about what has happened in the last few days.

More than thirty minutes and a lot of tears later (on both my part and Max's), I find myself feeling a little better. I think that talking things over with someone completely unrelated to the whole ordeal helps me to think more clearly about it, and by the end of the session, I'm actually starting to believe that things are going to be okay. I definitely have some way to go, but this time, I'm determined not to let depression get the best of me this time around.

Before we leave, I arrange to continue seeing Dr. Jones for a few more weeks, so that I can work through the pain properly, but afterwards, as Max and I walk through campus in search of some food, he cautiously brings up the subject of the wedding. I assure him that by then, I'll be fine, but he still offers to postpone it for a while until I'm totally ready. I protest vehemently, somehow already knowing that thoughts of marrying the love of my life are what will get me through the next few months, and in the end he holds his hands up in surrender, promising that he won't mention the possibility again.

Today has definitely been a good day for me, I decide, as I watch Max talking animatedly about the movie we've just seen at the theatre downtown. He declared earlier that we needed to do something to keep our minds off everything, so he took me to see the latest comedy and now we're sharing a pizza in a small Italian restaurant just off Main Street.

"Max?" I ask softly, when he finally stops for a break and a bite of pepperoni.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking…" I start, somewhat uncomfortably.

"What is it, Lizzie?" he enquires gently, his expression becoming concerned as he reaches for my hand across the table.

"Well, it's my Spring Break in a week and a half and I was thinking, maybe I could come home to Roswell and maybe stay with you at UNM for a bit?"

"I'd love for you to come stay," he smiles. "But, are you sure you can afford to fly all the way back to New Mexico?"

"When I called my parents on Monday to tell them about… the baby… they offered to fly me home," I inform him. I didn't tell him about their proposal at the time because he had come all that way the day before and I kind of needed him right then. "And anyway, what about you? You just flew all the way out here to be with me."

"Okay," he shrugs; looking embarrassed "I get your point. My parents helped me out with the tickets too."

I give a half-hearted smile, which unfortunately quickly turns to disappointment as I think about the week I have to get through first, before I can fly home.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks, when I look away.

"I just…" I shake my head. "I don't know how I'm going to get through the next few days without you."

He smiles an apologetic smile, "I'm so sorry, Lizzie. If I could stay here with you, I would, but I really can't. I have important classes to attend and that job interview in Phoenix to get to."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," I murmur quietly. "Are you all prepared for it?"

"I think so," he exhales loudly. "Well, as prepared as I'll ever be, I guess."

"I'm sure you'll do great," I tell him sincerely.

We continue to make small talk for another thirty minutes, until we've finished eating. All through dinner and even the walk home, we avoid talking about anything deep and meaningful. It seems like we've been discussing the heavy stuff all week and for once, it seems nice just to enjoy each others company without it being accompanied by the inevitable emotional roller coaster.

The weekend is pretty hard on both of us as we prepare to say goodbye to each other. Sunday morning is especially poignant, as I wake up to find Max's body spooning mine, his hands gently caressing my belly, which is no longer nurturing a child. We don't speak for several minutes; we simply lie together in silence. I cover Max's hands with my own and say a silent prayer for the child we lost. I'm not a particularly religious person, but somehow, it just seems fitting.

However, the calm that settled over us earlier in the day has completely dissipated by the time we get to the airport. Instead, we cling to each other, tears steaming down our faces as we say what has to be the hardest goodbye yet. Never mind the fact that we'll be seeing each other again in a week, as I wrap my arms around Max's neck and he enfolds me in a tight embrace, I get the feeling that the day few days are going to be incredibly difficult for me.

_TBC_…


	32. Interlude X

**Interlude Ten**

_**Liz**_

_**Present Day – November 23**__**rd**__** 2006 – Thanksgiving**_

I am having _the_ best dream right now.

I'm lying on a deserted beach, soaking up the sun in a pale-green triangle bikini. Max is lying beside me, hands behind his head, sunglasses covering his eyes and one leg bent at the knee, his foot flat on the beach towel. I turn my head to look at him and at the same moment, he shifts to his side. Our eyes lock and immediately, I am in his arms, his lips devouring mine, his hands roaming my sun-heated skin.

Within seconds, I find myself flat on my back once more, as Max's weight settles above me, placing his elbows either side of my head to support himself. His mouth kisses a wet trail down my neck to my chest. He kisses and suckles at my rapidly hardening nipples through the material of my bikini top before continuing his journey downwards. He shifts his weight to his knees, which are resting between my legs, and brings his hands down to my breasts. He pushes the material aside and cups me, massaging gently as his tongue dips into my belly button, making me squirm.

His hands drift downwards to my hips, where they tug at the strings of my bikini bottoms. I lift my hips slightly to allow him to pull the small scrap of material away with amazing speed. I bury my fingers in his hair, urging him to look up at me, which he does with a mischievous grin, holding my gaze for what seems like an eternity before lowering his mouth once again.

I arch up off the beach towel with a gasp as his tongue grazes my clit. His fingers trace small patterns on my inner thighs, slowly working their way towards where my body aches for his touch as his tongue caresses me intimately. I feel my body tightening with anticipation as Max brings me closer and closer to ecstasy. His fingers slide into me just as he catches my clit between his teeth and I come apart, my hands clutching at his head as waves of pleasure flow through my body.

I let out a gasping cry, calling his name over and over until the pleasure finally begins to subside. I open my eyes expecting to find Max grinning up at me from his position in the sand and feeling the hot afternoon sun beating down on us. I do see Max smiling at me from between my legs, but instead of a beach, I find myself lying in a king-size bed in a beautiful hotel room.

"Good morning," he grins. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Wow," I manage, my head falling back against the pillows. "What a wake-up call."

"Wasn't it?" he agrees smugly, before sliding up my body and kissing me thoroughly. I can taste a hint of myself on his lips and for some reason it turns me on even more.

"I think it must be your turn now," I murmur, pulling away a little as I slip my hand down between our bodies and wrap my fingers around him.

"No, wait," he mutters, shaking his head. "Not now. I need _you_."

"Okay," I whisper with a smile, as I release him and bring my hands up to rest against the pillows in surrender. "I'm all yours."

Max grins and reaches for a condom – something we're being more careful about these days – rolls it on and then wastes no time in entering my waiting body. I sigh in contentment as he slides in and out of me, gently at first and then more forcefully as the pressure begins to build and we both head for completion.

Afterwards, when we're both spent, but very sated, we lie curled up together in a cosy cocoon of sheets and duvet. Max's naked chest is pressed up against my back and the backs of my thighs are in intimate contact with his legs. His arms are around my waist and his hands spread flat across my skin. I smile with both happiness and amusement when I hear a small hitch in his breathing and then soft snores escape his throat.

* * *

"This is nice, isn't it?" says Max with a smile as we walk hand in hand through the streets of Scottsdale, Arizona. It's just after three in the afternoon and we've only just made it out of bed.

If you'd asked me twenty-four hours ago, how I'd be spending my Thanksgiving, I would have told you that I would be heading down to Roswell with my husband to spend a couple of days with our parents; however, when I got home from work last night, Max sprung an unexpected surprise on me: he was going to take me away for the holiday. He'd gotten home before me (we finish at the same time, but I have to drive all the way home) and had already packed our bags.

At first, he wouldn't tell me where we were going, just that we were staying until Friday morning and then we were going to drive down to Roswell for the weekend, but by the time we'd arrived at the airport in Albuquerque and were waiting in line to check in, I'd got it out of him. Scottsdale, Arizona. That's where we were going to be spending our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. Not the most conventional choice, but the town holds fond memories for us.

"It's wonderful here," I reply, grinning up at my husband. "It's so nice to be warm again."

"Yeah, it is," he chuckles.

Okay, so it's not like it's freezing up in Santa Fe or anything – temperatures were in the low sixties when we left yesterday although they are likely to get colder still, but here in Phoenix, it's a much warmer eighty degrees and I'm savouring every minute of it.

As we walk towards Old Town in comfortable silence, I can't help sneaking glances at Max. A huge grin slides onto my face as I think of everything he's done to make our first Thanksgiving special. Without telling me, he booked us a room for two nights in a lovely little hotel just outside the Old Town district of Scottsdale. Our room is perfect – not too small, but not enormous either – and Max even splashed out to get us a room with a Jacuzzi. We haven't tried it out yet, but I'm certain it's on the agenda in the very near future.

"What?" questions Max, shifting uncomfortably as he realises I'm staring at him.

"Nothing," I smile, coming to a stop so that I can face him properly. "Just… I love you."

"I love you, too," he returns, lightly grazing my cheek with his fingers, before leaning in for a kiss.

"Thank you," I murmur, when we pull apart.

"For what?" he smiles.

"For this," I tell him, gesturing to the scenery and buildings around us.

"My pleasure," he grins, looping an arm around my waist as we begin walking again. "I thought we could use a little vacation."

"Well, you'll hear no complaints from me," I state, slipping my arm around his waist and dipping my fingers into his back pocket. "So, what's the plan for the rest of the day?"

"I thought maybe we could do some shopping in Old Town and then, if you're interested, we could grab some dinner from Oregano's," he says, with a shrug.

"If I'm interested?" I exclaim incredulously. "Max, you know Oregano's is my favourite restaurant in the entire world!"

He chuckles at my outburst, "I guess you won't mind then."

"Not at all," I grin. "Half-baked cookie dough dessert, here I come!"

* * *

"Mmm, that was a perfect dinner," I sigh happily, as I stretch out my arms and let myself fall back onto the large bed in our hotel room.

"Yes, it was," murmurs Max, as he twists the lock on the door and saunters over to the bed.

"I love Scottsdale," I grin, gazing up at the ceiling. "Let's stay here for ever and ever."

"We can't do that, Lizzie. We both have jobs in Santa Fe," chuckles Max. I prop myself up on one elbow to look him in the eye.

"But I want to," I state with a pout.

He rolls his eyes and holds out his hand to pull me upright.

"I think you might have had a little too much to drink tonight, Lizzie," he murmurs, our faces just inches apart.

"Yeah, me too," I sigh dreamily. "I love wine."

He laughs, shaking his head a little as he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a hungry kiss. All I can do is stand there, my hands deliciously trapped against his chest, as the kiss deepens, our tongues duelling. I feel light-headed, like the world is spinning, but in a good way. I feel my body trembling with need, the combination of alcohol and happiness suddenly overflowing within me.

A small moan escapes my lips when Max eventually breaks the kiss, but his next whispered words have me smiling again.

"How about we go try out that hot-tub now?"

It seems that my grin is the only answer he needs, because he then grabs my hand and pulls me towards the bathroom. I watch as he leans across the tub to turn on the jets, my gaze drawn to his denim-covered butt and I feel a sudden rush of heat pooling in my belly. My breathing quickens and I bite my lip as I continue to stare. I take a couple of steps towards my husband, but before I can reach him, he straightens up and turns around. His eyes rake over my body, from my now heaving chest to the fire that I'm sure is in my eyes, and he groans, reaching for me.

Within seconds, I find myself naked but for a pair of black lace panties, as Max has peeled off the rest of my clothes in record time. I feel oddly aroused standing before him so exposed when he is still fully dressed. To emphasise that to him, I run my hands over my body, cupping my breasts and then walking my fingers down to my belly. Max sucks in a breath at my actions and as I hook my fingers into the elastic of my panties to slide them down, he frantically pulls off his clothes until he's standing before me… naked and very aroused.

He holds out a hand and leads me over to the tub. We step in and simultaneously let out sighs of contentment. I close my eyes, taking a moment to relax, before Max grabs me by the waist.

"Hey," I mutter in protest, as he lifts me up and practically dumps me into his lap, but my next words are extinguished when his mouth covers mine. As we kiss, his hands roam my skin, gently cupping my breasts, and then moving downwards to my stomach. I moan into his mouth as one of his hands moves to my butt, whilst the other dips between my legs. He strokes me gently; exerting just enough pressure to send shivers up my spine, but not enough to send me over the edge.

I let my hands wander over Max's body as he continues to tease me until I feel ready to explode. He pushes me over the edge with one final stroke, and then it's my turn to return the favour. We explore each other's bodies fully, caressing and teasing one another, until the need to be together becomes too great to resist. Straddling his lap, I lower myself onto Max and we lose ourselves in each other.

Afterwards, when we're lying together on the bed, wrapped only in bathroom robes, I gaze up at Max with a happy smile and tell him exactly how much I love him and that even though we didn't have a traditional Thanksgiving, with turkey and all the trimmings, this has been the most perfect Thanksgiving ever.

_TBC_…


	33. Chapter 22

**Part Twenty-Two**

_**Max**_

_**Monday March 27**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I ask anxiously as I pull on a sweatshirt and fasten my jeans.

"I'll be fine, Max," Liz assures me quietly. "It's only for a couple of hours, remember?"

"I know," I sigh, looking down at her curled up in my bed. "But you're only here for another two days and I don't like to leave you on your own."

"It's okay, Max," she says, sitting up and loosely pulling her knees to her chest. "Just go to class, alright?"

"Okay, fine," I agree eventually, after a mini staring match, which I lose. "But when I get back, we're gonna go out and do something fun."

"If you say so, Max," she responds with a small smile.

"Hey, I'm serious," I exclaim. "I think we could both use some fun right now."

Liz gives a small nod in response, as if she doesn't want to admit that I'm right. At the cute expression on her face, I lean down and gently kiss her lips, before pulling back a little to stare into her eyes. She stares back for a moment and I get lost in her eyes… until she suddenly pushes me away and scoots back.

"Go to class, Max," she orders with a soft chuckle. "You're going to be late."

"Okay, okay, I'm going," I tell her quickly, holding my hands up in surrender. "But you'd better be here when I get back."

"I'll be here, don't you worry," she smiles.

When I'm satisfied that she'll be okay whilst I'm gone, I grab my bag from the floor, kiss her again and head out of the room.

As I make my way out of my apartment and through the streets towards campus, I find my mind wandering back to Liz. Although I have to admit that she seems a lot better than a week ago when I was in Boston with her, I still worry about her. Despite what I was thinking in Cambridge two weeks ago, I do know that I'll have to tell Liz about Alex eventually. As much as I'd like to believe that my act of stupidity is not something worth bringing up in conversation and that it's not important for Liz to know about it, I understand that she deserves to know, for the sake of being honest in our relationship. The thing is, I can't do that yet; not when she's still fragile and trying to get back on her feet in order to graduate.

"Hey, Max," a female voice interrupts me from my thoughts as I cross Central Avenue and head past the UNM bookstore. I turn to see Alex walking towards me from my left.

"Alex, hi," I reply a little uncomfortably, as she joins me. "Are you heading to class?"

"Yep. You?"

Although we talked things through when I returned from Boston last week and I explained what happened to Liz, things are still a little awkward between us. I haven't seen her much over the last few days, what with my job interview in Phoenix (which, by the way, I think I kinda messed up) and Liz arriving on Saturday, but whenever I have seen her, I've felt embarrassed over my actions a fortnight ago. However, I'm determined not to let it affect either my relationship with Liz or my friendship with her, so I'm doing everything I can to put that kiss to the back of my mind and concentrate on Liz.

"Yeah," I say, with a roll of my eyes. "The joys of 20th Century Literature."

"I know what you mean," she says with a laugh. "I have a class on Anglo-Saxon England in a few minutes."

"Nice," I joke, rolling my eyes and she nods in agreement.

We walk in silence for a couple of minutes, until Alex speaks up, looking slightly uncomfortable, "So, um… Liz is here this week?"

"Yeah, she is," I nod. "She didn't want to be alone for Spring Break."

"Understandable," she says. "How is she holding up?"

"She's doing okay, I think," I tell her. "But it's still hard for her; for both of us, actually. She's going to down see her parents on Wednesday, though, which I think will be good for her."

Alex doesn't say anything, but just nods.

"Look, um," I start hesitantly. "I've decided that I need to tell Liz about… what happened."

She nods again, "It's the right thing to do, Max."

"I know," I say softly. "But I'm gonna wait until she's better and until finals are over. I don't want to do anything right now to jeopardise her recovery."

"Understandable," she replies. "Just… promise me you will tell her, Max?" she asks.

"I promise," I tell her sincerely.

The conversation seemingly over, we continue walking across campus, until I realise we've reached Dane Smith Hall, where my class is.

"Well, um, this is me," I say. "I'll, um… see you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Max," says Alex with a slight smile as she turns towards her building. "Enjoy your class."

* * *

When I return home almost three hours later, I find Liz sitting on the couch talking to John. He's chatting animatedly about the professor of one of his classes and Liz appears to be listening intently.

"Hey," I greet, as I enter the room and close the front door behind me.

Liz turns to face me, her eyes lighting up a little.

"Max, you're home," she says happily.

"Hey, man," greets John with a grin. "Just keeping your lovely fiancée company while you were out," he shoots Liz a smile.

"Thanks, man," I tell him, as Liz gets up off the couch and wraps her arms around my waist, pressing her face against my chest for a moment. I slide my arms around her in return and ask, "You okay?"

She nods against me, "Yeah, just happy to see you."

"Me, too," I tell her softly.

I catch John's eye and shoot him a mock glare when he smirks and rolls his eyes at the display of affection, before lowering my gaze to the top of Liz's head.

"Hey, you fancy getting out of here?" I ask. "We'll go have some fun."

"Okay," she murmurs as she lifts her head to look up at me. "I'd like that."

"Come on, then," I prompt, lowering my arms and taking her hand in mine. "Let's go."

I practically pull her out of the door, only just giving her time to grab her purse from the small table next to the couch before we leave the apartment.

"Have fun, guys," calls John as we leave the apartment and head for the jeep.

I drive down to Old Town, where all the Native American shops and art galleries are located. Hand in hand, we peruse the various stores and quaint buildings, not talking about anything serious, but instead simply enjoying the day as it comes. As the afternoon stretches into evening, we find a small Mexican restaurant and I treat Liz to dinner. As we eat, Liz brings up a subject that I guess I've been avoiding talking about the last couple of days, for fear that she's not ready to think about it again yet: the wedding.

"I think we've got most things sorted out now," she says, with a wave of her fork. "The main problem at the moment is getting Isabel and Maria to decide on bridesmaid's dresses."

"Liz –" I start, but she continues on regardless.

"Do you think maybe you could talk to her, Max? See if you can get her to come to a compromise?"

"I'll try," I agree softly. "But, Liz, are you sure it's a good idea to get right back into organising everything? Maybe you should give it a couple more weeks before you think about this stuff?"

She shakes her head, "I'm fine, Max. I need to think about other things right now, because if I don't, I'll just get lost in my own head again and I don't want that."

"Okay," I nod in understanding. "In that case, there's something I wanted to ask you about."

"Yeah?"

"We haven't discussed the honeymoon yet," I say. "Where would you like to go?"

She just looks at me blankly for a few seconds before her lips curl up in a smile.

"What?" I wonder self-consciously.

"Nothing," she shakes her head. "It's just… the honeymoon. I've been so caught up with planning the wedding and everything else that I hadn't even thought about what happens after."

I chuckle softly, "Believe me, I've been thinking about it… spending all that time alone with just you?" I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively. "I can't wait."

She laughs, her body language much more positive than it has been lately, "Typical man, only thinking about one thing."

Her laughter is infectious and I find myself joining in.

"So, where do you want to go?" I ask again, when we finally calm down.

"I really don't know," she says with a shrug. "But definitely somewhere hot and sunny and away from lots of people. How about I leave it up to you?" she suggests. "Then you can surprise me."

"Okay," I smile and she smiles back.

I feel a weight lifting off my shoulders as we talk and laugh for the rest of the meal. It's so good to see her being happy and having fun again.

* * *

"Max?" questions Liz softly as we lie together in my bed several hours later.

"Yeah?" I query, stroking her arm as I stare up at the ceiling.

"Thank you for today, it really helped me feel better," she murmurs.

"My pleasure," I reply. "Anything to make you happy."

"Thank you," she repeats, snuggling closer to my side.

We lay together in silence for a few more minutes, until Liz speaks up again.

"Max?"

"Yeah?" I reply again, a small smile playing on my lips.

"Do you think…?" she starts, sounding almost nervous. "I was thinking maybe we could… I just, um… "

"What is it, Lizzie?" I ask gently.

"I want to make love with you again, Max," she blurts out quickly. "Tonight."

"Make love?" I question, my eyes widening in surprise. "Liz, I don't know if that's a good idea right now. You're still recovering and…"

"I want to be with you, Max," she whispers. "I want to feel –"

"Lizzie," I sigh. "I'm sorry, but we can't. It's too soon after… I don't want to risk something happening to you again."

The truth is, I'm sort of terrified. I am so scared of something terrible happening again, that I don't want to risk it. I'm not sure either of us is ready, or could handle it, if she got pregnant again.

"Max, please," she begs and I can hear the tears in her voice. "I need to feel something again."

"Okay, look," I say, unable to completely deny what I know she needs right now. I shift onto my side to face her. "I'm not going to make love to you tonight; I can't; but I understand how you feel, okay? And I want to make you feel better. So, here's the deal: you just lie back and relax and let me work my magic, alright?"

"Okay," she whispers, her expression one of both gratitude and relief. I smile and lean forward to press my lips to hers.

As we kiss, I slide my arm around her waist and shift her so that she's lying on her back. I pull back slightly and with a tender smile, I slip my hands beneath her T-shirt and slide it over her head. I nuzzle her neck with my lips as my hands glide over her warm, bare skin, massaging gently. My fingers trail down from her collarbone, between the gentle valley of her breasts and eventually come to rest on her belly. Lifting my head, I see tears in her eyes and as her fingers tangle in my hair, I give her a gentle smile and place a kiss on her soft cheek.

"Max," she murmurs, as my hands slide back up to cup her breasts. Her hands slide down to the back of my neck and she looks up at me, wide-eyed and slightly vulnerable.

"I love you, Lizzie," I whisper, before kissing a trail down her jaw line to her chest. "Don't ever forget that."

She arches slightly beneath me as I caress her beautiful breasts, placing gentle kisses on her skin, before continuing on down to her navel.

"Mmm," she moans softly, as my fingers trace the waistband of the boxer shorts she's wearing – a pair of mine that she once 'borrowed' and subsequently never returned – but before I begin to urge them over her hips, I glance up at her once more… and let out a small chuckle. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is even and somewhat deep. She's fallen asleep, exhausted.

With a slight shake of my head, I crawl back up her body and settle beside her once more, pulling her body against mine as I cover both of us with the duvet. I drift off to sleep with a smile on my face. At least she's beginning to heal.

_TBC_…


	34. Chapter 23

**Part Twenty-Three**

_**Liz**_

_**Friday March 31**__**st**__** 2006**_

Well, I've been back home in Roswell for two days now and to be honest, I'm having a hard time trying not to burst into tears whenever I see my parents. When I left Max in Albuquerque Wednesday morning and got on a bus to Roswell, I was so sure that I was getting over everything. Spending time with Max made me feel happier again; but as soon as I saw my parents, standing there at the bus depot, tears of sympathy in their eyes, everything came flooding back to me again. I practically ran right into my mom's arms, tears leaking from my eyes and she hugged me tightly and whispered words of comfort against my hair. They've been so kind and caring towards me in the last forty-eight hours that I only have to look at them to feel like curling up in my mom's arms and crying my eyes out. Of course, Max has been absolutely perfect the past few days and weeks, but sometimes, all you need is a hug from your mom.

I let out a sigh and hug my duvet around my shoulders as my mind returns to the present. It's only nine am, but I'm already counting down the hours until this evening. See, since I'm at home right now, Max told me he's gonna drive down to Roswell after his last class and we can spend the weekend together before I have to fly back to Boston on Sunday.

"Lizzie, are you up?" my mom's voice sounds from the other side of my bedroom door. "There's someone here to see you."

"Who is it?" I ask, poking my head out from under the covers.

"It's me, chica!" comes Maria's voice through the door. I smile. What is Maria doing here? "Can I come in?"

She barely waits for my answer, instead just flinging the door open and barging in.

"Maria?" I wonder, pulling myself up into a sitting position as she moves around the room. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New York."

"Well, I knew you were gonna be at home this week, so I thought it'd be the perfect time take a couple of days off to visit everyone here in Roswell," she states and I frown at her logic – we only live a couple of hours from each other back on the East coast, so it's much easier for us to see each other there.

"Oh, okay," I murmur softly, looking around the room instead of directly at her.

She makes a small sad sound in her throat and I feel the bed dip slightly as she perches on the edge.

"How are you holding up?" she asks sincerely. "You must have had a rough time the last couple of weeks."

"I'm okay, I guess," I tell her softly. "Everyone's been great, though."

"I bet they have," she murmurs, before holding out her hands. "Hey, come here, sweetie. You look like you could use a hug right now."

I smile at her gratefully and she pulls me into a hug. It's so nice to be back in Roswell, with my family _and_ my best friend.

* * *

Maria and I spend a while catching up and generally enjoying each other's company, before she suddenly stands up and insists I get dressed and go downstairs with her for breakfast. By ten-fifteen, we're sitting in our old booth down in the Crashdown, with huge plates of bacon and eggs in front of us. I have to admit that, for the first time since I arrived home on Wednesday, I'm actually feeling normal again.

However, the strangest part of the morning occurs when the bell above the front door sounds at ten forty-five and in walks Isabel Evans. Since I'm facing the door, I notice her first and nudge Maria to alert her attention. We look at each other quizzically, both thinking the same thing: Isn't Isabel supposed to be in San Francisco right now? Before we have a chance to say anything, Isabel notices us in the corner and with a smile, makes her way over to our booth.

"Hey, guys," she smiles, before leaning down to wrap her arms around me in a hug. "How are you doing, Liz?" she asks as she pulls away. "Max told me what happened, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, thanks, Isabel," I tell her with a small smile. "Not that we're not glad to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh, well," she says airily. "Max also kinda mentioned that you're trying to sort out the bridesmaid dresses for us and that it might be easier if I was actually around for it."

"Really?" I wonder, with an impressed nod. I'd assumed I wouldn't be able to get hold of Isabel for at least another few weeks.

"Hey, that's great!" exclaims Maria suddenly. "Since all three of us are actually in the same place for once, how about we go find our dresses today?"

"That's a good idea," I agree. Anything to keep my mind off things. "Isabel, you in?"

"Sure," she smiles. "You know what? We should make a day of it."

"Okay," I reply. "If you can just hold on until Maria and I have finished breakfast, we can get going."

"Sure," replies Isabel easily, as she goes to order a drink from the counter and then joins us in the booth and waits for us to finish.

By midday, we've already visited one bridal store and, having found nothing suitable there, are now browsing a second. I want to find a style and colour that both Isabel and Maria can agree on and look good in. Months ago, I swore to myself that I would never force my bridesmaids to wear hideous dresses, or dresses that they weren't comfortable in, so I'm not going to insist on a particular style or colour for them. Unfortunately, that kinda makes things difficult, because Maria and Isabel have very different body shapes and tastes. However, I'm determined to find their outfits today, because who knows when we're all gonna be in the same place again in the next few weeks.

Surprisingly, however, there is minimal disagreement between Isabel and Maria over the outfits they try on. Instead of Isabel flat out refusing to wear a particular colour, she merely gives a little frown when she is handed the dress and then obediently carries it into the dressing room. A similar thing happens with Maria. Rather than complaining that whatever I hand her will not suit her, she too just heads straight for the fitting rooms. If one of them looks stupid or awful in a dress, the other is polite about it, which kind of freaks me out because usually neither Maria nor Isabel has any trouble speaking her mind. The thing is, I have an awful feeling that they're being overly cautious with their words because of me.

After trying practically every dress in the second store with no success, we decide to drive to a fairly new store just outside of town to have a look there. At first we only seem to be able to find an outfit for one of them; there's a gorgeous knee-length dress with capped sleeves that looks beautiful on Isabel, who has a tall, full figure, but it just doesn't work for Maria. Then we find another that looks great on Maria, but it really doesn't suit Isabel at all.

Eventually, though, I spot a lovely mint-green dress in the corner of the store. It's a strapless, floor-length design with a beaded pattern just above the bust and an extra layer of material over the top, which comes together at the ribs and then falls to the floor. I point it out to the other two, who are currently ooh-ing and aah-ing over the white wedding gowns, and they both appear to like it. I hand them each a dress in their size and they head to the fitting rooms. My eyes widen in amazement when they emerge from adjacent dressing rooms. They both look gorgeous.

"So?" I ask in excitement. "What do you guys think?"

"It's perfect, Lizzie," says Maria, running her hands over the material.

"Yeah," agrees Isabel. "I think this is the one."

"Well, that's good," I tell them flippantly, before they have time to change their minds. "Because they are now officially your bridesmaid's dresses."

Maria and Isabel get changed again and we go to discuss fittings and colours with the sales assistant. We decide on the mint-green, since it looked so perfect on both of them, which is really strange, because I never once imagined that my bridesmaids would be wearing green. Luckily, the flower combinations my mom and I decided on will go with the dresses, so I don't need to worry about changing anything.

As we leave the shop and head back into Roswell, I find I can't stop smiling. I suddenly can't wait until Max gets here tonight so I can tell him about the dresses.

* * *

_**Thursday April 21**__**st**__** 2006**_

"Shit!" I exclaim, flinging sheets of paper across the room as I search for my missing revision notes.

I'm really freaking out right now. Finals are only eleven days away and I am nowhere near ready. I have so much studying to do and only eleven days in which to do it. I can't even find my study notes, for God's sake!

"Fuck!" I cry in frustration, sinking to the floor beside my bed and burying my face in my hands.

Tears begin rolling down my face as the enormity of the whole situation kicks in and a feeling of dread settles in my stomach. God, how am I gonna get through this? The most important week of my life is only a few days away and I am in no way prepared for it. But you know what the worst thing is? I don't even have the slightest shred of motivation to study for my final college exams. I just don't care anymore.

All I want is to curl up in Max's arms and forget about the rest of the world. I want him to hold me and comfort me and tell me that it's going to be alright. Most of all, I just want him to tell me that the last few weeks never happened. I wasn't ever pregnant. I didn't just lose my… no, our… first child.

God, it's all too much right now. After all, let's not forget my Graduation ceremony at the beginning of June – providing I pass finals, that is – and the wedding I'm supposed to be planning (and attending in the bridal capacity) at the same time.

I need to talk to Max.

I reach for my cell phone and press Max's speed dial number. I don't bother to wipe my eyes or compose myself as I wait for him to pick up.

"Ye-llo?" he answers distractedly. I guess he didn't check the caller ID before picking up.

"Max, it's me," I manage softly, my breath hitching slightly as I hear his familiar tone.

"Lizzie?" he questions. "What's up?"

"I need some help," I admit, my voice coming out soft and more than slightly needy.

"What is it?" he asks quickly, and I can just imagine him sitting up straight, a worried frown appearing on his face. "What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath, "I can't do this, Max. I just can't."

"Do what?" he sounds worried. "Lizzie, what's the matter?"

"It's all too much," I tell him in a whisper. "School, finals, the wedding… the sadness."

"Oh, honey," he murmurs softly. My breath catches in my throat. We've never really used pet names for each other. I've always thought they were kinda corny, but hearing Max call me 'honey' in that smooth, tender tone of his, causes an my heart to skip a beat. "Look," he continues. "We'll get you through this, okay? You just tell me what you're having trouble with and I'll see what I can do to help."

I nod, but then realise that he can't see me.

"Okay," I mutter softly.

"Okay," he replies.

"God, finals are only eleven days away, Max and I haven't even started studying yet," I burst out, adding in a softer voice, "I can't. I don't even want to."

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," he assures me. "I know that studying must be the last thing you feel like doing right now, but it's just something we both have to do. Just think, you're nearly there, Lizzie. There's only a few more weeks to go before graduation; you've spent four years getting to this point and think how much you'll regret it if you give up now."

"I know that," I murmur. "I do. It's just so hard, Max."

"I know," he soothes. "For me, too. But I'm gonna see you graduate if it's the last thing I do."

That makes me chuckle slightly, "It better not be; you have a wedding to attend after that."

"Oh, of course," he says playfully. "How could I forget about that?"

"Exactly," I respond, mock offended.

"Okay, Lizzie, this is what we're gonna do: you tell me what exams you need to study for and I'll help you come up with a revision timetable," he says.

"Okay," I nod.

We spend the next thirty minutes or so going over what I need to study for each class and working out a suitable timetable. By the end of the call, I'm feeling much more positive and in control of what I need to do. Max tells me that if, at any time in the next few days, I feel overwhelmed by it all, I should just call him and he'll help me study over the phone. I tell him that I will and that I'm really grateful for his help, but after we've hung up, I find myself letting out a huge sigh and burying my face in my hands.

I hope I can do this.

_TBC_…


	35. Interlude XI

**Interlude Eleven**

_**Max**_

_**Present Day – Sunday December 24**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Good, morning," I murmur softly to my half-asleep wife as I place a tray of food on the table beside the bed, before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Hmm," she mutters, her eyes still closed as she stretches her arms above her head. "Morning."

"Merry Christmas Eve," I say as I perch on the edge of the bed. She opens her eyes. "I made you breakfast."

She glances towards the tray on the table with a smile, "Thank you. You're so sweet."

"My pleasure," I grin, as she pulls herself up into a sitting position and I place the tray on her lap.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Liz asks as she bites into a piece of toast.

"Well, my mom is expecting us at around six tonight, so we'll have to leave here by one at the latest, but apart from that our day is free."

"Really?" she says with a smile. "What will we do with ourselves all morning?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things," I murmur, leaning in for another kiss. I can taste the jam from the toast on her lips.

"Yeah?" she grins as I pull back.

"Yeah," I nod.

"Well, then, let me just finish this beautifully prepared breakfast and then I might take you up on that," she grins, before patting my side of the bed with her hand. "Care to join me?"

"Sure," I say with a smile, before moving to sit beside her as she feeds me some toast.

"So," says Liz, between bites. "We have all the presents for everyone, right? We haven't forgotten anything?"

"No, I think we've pretty much exhausted every present-buying avenue now," I assure her. "If anything, we're over-prepared."

"That's good. I've been so disorganised this year, I can't believe it," she admits, lifting her mouth to mine. "I guess you're just too much of a distraction for me."

"Well, it's a good thing you have me to sort things out, then," I murmur with a grin as she breaks the kiss to take another bite. I slide my arm around her shoulders and we lean back against the headboard as we eat breakfast.

"So, um, you haven't seen Alex in a few weeks…" she starts a couple of moments later.

"No, I haven't," I agree, wondering for a second if she has a particular reason for bringing that up now. "I've been way too preoccupied with spending time with my gorgeous wife lately, that she hasn't even crossed my mind."

"Oh," she smiles. "Well, that's good."

"Come to think of it, she hasn't called me in a while either. But then, she is dating someone new and it seems pretty serious, so I doubt she has much time," I add.

In truth, I guess that Alex and I are just kind of drifting apart… actually that's not quite true; after what Liz said to me back in October about her spending time with her friends and me spending time with Alex, I realised how important it was for me to focus on Liz and not on my friendship with Alex. So, we're still friends, but we don't see each other as much as we used to, which, from Liz's point of view, is probably a good thing.

"No, I guess not," she replies with a nod.

"Actually," I say, as I realise that I should really tell her the real reason. "The truth is that what you said the other week about me spending time with her made me realise that I was taking you for granted a little. You're my wife and our marriage is more important than her."

"Thank you, Max," she replies softly, sending me a gentle smile.

We sit together, eating quietly for a couple of minutes, until Liz brings up the subject of our holiday festivities.

"So, last night was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," I agree with a chuckle.

Last night, Liz and I were invited to a Christmas dinner with Julie and her boyfriend, in their apartment on the first floor. Although, actually I think it was more of a case of Liz and Julie getting together and ganging up on Kevin, that's Julie boyfriend, and I, and forcing us to join them in a small, but fairly formal dinner party. Luckily, they did all the cooking (Kevin admitted that he burns everything he touches in the kitchen and even though I can cook basic, every day meals, I'm really not good with elaborate dinners), but we were nominated to do the dishes and cleaning up afterwards whilst, Liz and Julie relaxed on the sofa with a glass of wine each. However, after the meal, we all sat in their living room and spent the rest of the evening chatting and laughing together. It was definitely a fun night… although I have to admit that two twenty-something women with a tendency to start giggling and not stop, and a bottle of high-percentage white wine do not go that well together (but don't tell Liz I said that).

Together, we finish off the breakfast I prepared and when the tray is empty, I take it back out to the kitchen, giving Liz strict instructions not to go anywhere until I get back.

"So, will you tell me now why I wasn't supposed to get up?" she asks when I re-enter the room a couple of minutes later.

"Nope," I grin and hold out my hand to her. She slips her hand in mine and I lead her out of the room, towards the bathroom. I think she finally realises my intentions when I close the bathroom door behind us and lock it firmly.

"Um, Max… is that really necessary?" she questions with a smile as she nods towards the lock. "We're the only people in this apartment. I doubt anyone's gonna try to invade our privacy."

"Oh, ha ha," I retort with a grin. "I can lock the door if I want to. Besides, what if Julie were to drop by and let herself in? You wouldn't want her walking in on us, would you?"

"No, I guess not," she agrees, her eyes growing wide at the thought of her friend seeing something she shouldn't.

"So, Mrs. Evans," I start smoothly, steering the conversation away from Julie. "Now that we're all alone in here, what shall we do with ourselves?"

"Well," she starts, with a mischievous grin, as she reaches over to turn on the shower. "I don't know about you, but I'm gonna take a shower."

"Oh, well, since I'm not going to do anything that doesn't involve you, I guess I'll be showering too," I answer playfully.

Whilst her back is turned, I quickly pull off the T-shirt and sweatpants I slept in (it's been way too cold last few nights to sleep _san_ clothing) and sidle up behind her, slipping my hands under her pyjama top so that they rest on her stomach.

"Well, if you _must_ join me, then I guess it'll be okay," she murmurs, her voice becoming slightly breathless as I press the length of my body against her.

"Thank you for being so kind, Mrs. Evans," I mutter, as I lower my head to nuzzle her neck, my hands creeping up over her skin to cup her breasts.

I remove my lips from her neck, as Liz reaches for her top and pulls it over her head, before slipping her fingers into her pyjama pants and pulling them down, leaving her in only a pair of tiny lace panties. My breathing coming faster as my body presses against her soft, warm skin, I trail my hands back down to her hips and slip my fingers beneath the elastic of her panties.

"Oh, God," she breathes, as I gently stroke her centre for a moment, before easing the panties down over her hips. She kicks them off and together we step into the shower. As she reaches for her bottle of shampoo, I take a moment to watch her. It's amazing how she can still take me breath away with just one glimpse of her perfect body, even after more than four years of knowing her intimately. I don't think I'll ever get tired of being with her.

With a grin, I reach for her once more, causing her to drop the shampoo bottle as I pin her against the shower wall and lower my lips to hers. As the kiss becomes more passionate, I urge her legs around my waist and she jumps up eagerly. We make love in the shower, slow and leisurely at first, before the anticipation becomes too much and neither of us can hold back any longer. Amazingly, we climax together, which to be honest, doesn't happen all that often. Usually Liz is the first to reach her peak when we make love.

Afterwards, we take our time soaping each other up and washing each other's hair, which only results in us getting so worked up again that we make love a second time. However, by the time we step out of the shower again, we're both so relaxed that all the stressed over Christmas has just disappeared and we're fully prepared for spending the holiday with our parents.

* * *

We arrive at my parents' house by six-thirty pm and are greeted by not just my mom and dad, but Nancy and Jeff Parker, Isabel and Alex, and Michael and Maria. It seems that my mom decided to cook a big Christmas Eve dinner for everyone, so we spend the evening catching up with the gossip and discussing when Michael and Maria are going to get married. The two of them seemed to be having a little trouble agreeing on a wedding date, but I think that they're gonna try for an Autumn ceremony.

After dinner, we see off Liz's parents, wishing them Merry Christmas and confirming the plan to spend Christmas afternoon and tomorrow night with them. Michael, Maria and Alex leave soon after, to spend Christmas with their own families. By eleven-thirty, my parents and Isabel have headed up to bed, leaving Liz and I alone on the living room couch.

"It's nice to see everyone together again, isn't it?" says Liz as she curls up beside me and rests her head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, it is," I agree. "It's just like old times."

"Although, I have to say that it's also nice to have our own place away from Roswell where we can concentrate on our lives together without the interference of parents," she adds, with a chuckle.

Her words give me the perfect opportunity to bring up a subject that I've been giving some thought to over the last couple of days.

"Lizzie?"

"Yeah?" she asks, looking up at me from where her head rests on my chest.

"I know you've only just started your job at the lab, but what do you think of the possibility of moving away from New Mexico?" I start tentatively.

"Moving away?" she questions, sitting up to face me properly. "What brought this on?"

"There's an opportunity at work for a few of us to be transferred to a new branch that has just opened in a bigger city. My boss approached me on Friday to ask if I was interested in one of the jobs there," I tell her. "It would mean a slightly higher position and more money, but it would also mean moving out of state."

"Really?" she exclaims. "Max, that's great!"

"It is," I agree with a nod. "But I need your honest opinion on this. Would you be happy if we were to move away? We wouldn't be near our friends and family here and we wouldn't be able to see them very often," I admit.

She frowns at my words, "Max… exactly how far are we talking here? You mean, like LA or New York or somewhere, right?"

"Um, not exactly," I stall, wondering just how to break the news. "The job is in London."

"London?" she practically squeaks in surprise. "I-I'm guessing you don't mean the London in Canada?"

"No, I don't," I shake my head. "They're offering me a position as a research assistant in the European branch."

"Wow," she exhales heavily. "I mean…London…"

"Liz, as much as this job would be a great opportunity for me, I'm not even going to consider taking it unless you are totally happy with the decision. If you don't want to leave your job or your family, I'll understand completely."

"Wow," she says again. "God, I don't know, Max. I mean, on the one hand, I have always wondered what it would be like to live in Europe, but on the other… Max we've only just got settled in Santa Fe and I have only been working at the lab for a few weeks; maybe it's too soon to uproot our lives and move away."

"Liz," I say earnestly, taking her hand in mine. "If you don't want to move, we won't move. I'll go with whatever you decide. I just want you to be happy."

"Honestly, I think I could be happy anywhere as long as we were together," she smiles at me. "But this is a big decision. Can you give me some time to think it over?"

"Of course," I return the smile, as I hook my arm around her shoulder and pull her close again. "Take all the time you need."

"What about you, Max?" she asks then. "It's not just my family we'd be leaving behind. Don't you have that decision to make too?"

"Yeah, I do," I reply. "But I've been thinking about it today and I've come to the conclusion that, like you, I can be happy wherever we end up, as long as we have each other."

"Aww, you're so sweet," she murmurs with a giggle.

"That I am," I declare playfully.

Liz lets out a sigh and rolls her eyes at my antics, before climbing off me and holding out her hand to me. "Come on, sweet guy, let's go to bed."

_TBC_…


	36. Chapter 24

**Part Twenty-Four**

_**Max**_

_**Tuesday May 2**__**nd**__** 2006**_

"I need a break," I mutter, as I lean back in my desk chair and stretch my arms before rubbing my aching neck. Studying is exhausting!

I push the chair away from the desk and stand up so I can stretch my legs too. With a quick glance at the open textbooks and half-finished study notes on the desk, I shake my head in dismissal and head for the kitchen where I find John sat at the kitchen table, scribbling frantic notes onto some kind of diagram. There are books strewn all over the place and a small pile of junk food wrappers lies to his right. We share a look and eye-roll as I greet him with a 'hey'. For the past week, our apartment has become a study-haven. A strange kind of quiet has settled over all of us and you can't go anywhere without seeing open textbooks and stressed out roommates. In fact, Mark has gone as far to tape revision cards all over the place, including the bathroom mirror and above the TV!

I grab a cherry coke from the fridge and sink into the chair opposite John, before glancing at the clock. It's eleven-thirty am, which means it's one-thirty in Boston. Liz will be halfway through the microbiology final right now. I hope it goes well for her; she's had so much trouble trying to concentrate on her finals in the last few days. The past couple of months have been hard on both of us and I really hope she can put it behind her, at least for this week, and do the best she can in the exams.

"Taking a break?" asks John knowingly, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah," I give him a sheepish grin. "There's only so much Shakespeare I can take in one go."

"Yeah, I can understand that," he replies with a roll of his eyes. "I'm having the same problem with this stuff."

"I'm giving it ten minutes," I say. "Then it's right on to twentieth-century lit."

"Man, I can't wait until this is all over," he says with a sigh. "After finals we are going out for a major celebration."

"I'm definitely looking forward to that," I grin, taking a swig of cherry coke.

"Hey, Max," says John thoughtfully, as he puts down his pencil. "What changed?"

"Huh?" I wonder, frowning in confusion. What is he talking about?

"Well, ever since Liz was here and you went down to Roswell, you seem… different, I guess. I know you guys have been through a lot lately, but you've barely done anything but study and talk to Liz on the phone for the last month. You haven't kicked a ball around with us lately and I don't think I've even seen you hanging out with Alex in a while. What's up?"

I let out a sigh. "I realised that graduating with good grades and trying to get a job are my priorities now, and Liz… I guess being with her again, especially after what happened has made me realise how much I love her and need her in my life. I haven't been the most attentive fiancé this year and now I'm doing all I can to make that up to her and to help her get through everything," I tell him honestly. "With everything going on, I just haven't had any time for much else." I haven't told him about what happened with Alex or that, as a result of my stupid move back in March; we're not really as close as we were before. "Besides, Alex is seeing this guy from her study group and so we're both pretty busy right now anyway."

"Oh, okay," he says, with a slightly puzzled expression. "I didn't think Alex dated much."

I shrug, "She went out with the guy a couple of times back in the fall, but I guess nothing more happened until recently."

"Oh," he nods, before turning back to his books.

I feel a sense of relief knowing Alex that the fact is dating someone doesn't bother me in the slightest. In fact, my ambivalence towards this news only reinforces the fact that my so-called feelings for her were not serious or real at all, and that finding out Liz was in the hospital was the wake-up call I needed to get my life back on track. The mere thought that I could have lost Liz that day made me realise how much she is a part of me, and that after Graduation, I don't ever want to be separated from her again.

We sit together in silence for a couple of minutes, John reading a textbook chapter as I drink my cherry coke. However, the opening and closing of the front door and the sudden appearance of Pete in the kitchen doorway breaks the silence.

"What's up?" he greets.

"Hey, man," both John and I reply simultaneously.

"There's a letter here for you, Max," he states, holding it out for me. "It was in the mailbox downstairs."

"Thanks," I say, taking it from him.

I turn it over and a wave of nervousness comes over me when I see the postmark. It's from a Santa Fe-based publishing company that I sent a job application to a couple of weeks ago. I close my eyes briefly, before tearing it open. After I totally messed up the interview in Phoenix and didn't get the job, I'm really hoping it's not a rejection.

"Well, what is it?" asks John as I unfold the paper and begin to read.

The words _'We would like you to come in for an interview' _jump out at me and I break into a grin.

"I have a job interview," I tell him. "The week after graduation."

"Congrats, man," says Pete, giving me a slap on the back.

"Yeah, congratulations," smiles John.

"Thanks, guys," I tell them, as I refold the sheet of paper and slip it back into the envelope. I let out a breath; it is great news, but now I have finals, graduation and a job interview all in the space of a couple of weeks.

I check the clock again; it's now eleven-fifty. Liz's exam finishes at three her time, one o'clock here, so I still have an hour and ten minutes to wait before I can call her to see how it went and to give her the good news about my interview.

* * *

_**Thursday May 11**__**th**__** 2006**_

I can't believe it's almost over. My last ever college exam starts in a little under two hours and all I can think about is the sense of relief I'm going to feel in about five hours time. And just think, in two days, I'll be a college graduate!

I glance at my new cell phone, which I bought when I was in Boston with Liz at Spring Break, since my old one was irreparable. I've been trying to resist calling Liz this week, for fear of distraction from my study schedule, but I just can't put it off any longer. I grab the phone and press number one on the speed dial.

"Hey, are they over yet?" is her greeting the second she picks up the phone.

"Hello, to you too, Lizzie," I chuckle softly.

"Sorry," she apologises. "I'm just nervous for you."

"Well, the last one is this afternoon," I tell her. "And after that, it'll be over."

"That's good," she replies.

"So, have you got your results yet?" I query, although I know she probably hasn't because she would have called me already if she had.

"No, not yet," she tells me. "Should be tomorrow, though."

It seems Harvard takes longer than UNM to grade papers, although I guess that's because their graduation isn't until June, whereas mine is in two days time and so the professors have to grade our papers within twenty-four hours.

"And then you can come home?" I ask hopefully.

"Yeah, then I can come home," she chuckles. "But you knew that anyway, since my plane gets in tomorrow night."

"Yeah, I did," I grin. "But I was just checking."

Liz is moving out of her apartment for good tomorrow. She's already shipped most of her stuff home, so it'll just be her and a couple of suitcases arriving at the airport. She's gonna stay here with me tomorrow night and then we'll meet up with my parents and Isabel, who will be staying in one of the local hotels, just before the commencement ceremony on Saturday morning.

"So, are you all prepared for the exam?" she asks then.

"Yeah, I think so," I say. "You know what they say: '_if you don't know it by now, you're never gonna know it_.'"

"Yeah, I guess," she replies with a small chuckle, which makes me smile too.

I'm happy for her right now; she seems much happier since the end of finals, than she was a couple of weeks ago. After all the hard work she managed to put into studying in the end, I'm positive it paid off, although she isn't so sure about that.

"Yeah, I'm just trying not to think about it now. I wanna go in calm and confident," I say, trying not to sound as nervous about it as I feel.

"I'm sure you'll do great," she assures me.

"So, what are you up to right now?" I ask, changing the subject to something not quite as scary as the thought of my looming exam.

"Well, the girls and I are getting ready for one last day of fun before we all leave tomorrow."

"That sounds nice," I respond with a smile. "What are you doing?"

"Well, first off, we're going into the city for lunch and an afternoon of shopping, then we're going to the theatre to see this cool play that Grace managed to get us tickets to and after that I think we're gonna to go a cocktail bar or something," she tells me excitedly.

"Well, that sounds much more exciting than my day!" I joke.

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. I could do with some fun to take my mind off the impending exam results."

"I hope you have a great time," I tell her, before sneaking a quick glance at the clock.

"Thanks."

"Look, I'd better get going now," I say regretfully. "I need to fix some lunch and I wanna get to the exam room nice and early."

"Okay," says Liz. "Good luck for this afternoon, okay? And I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait," I reply softly.

"Me either," she murmurs.

"I love you," I respond.

"Me too," she says.

"Bye, Lizzie."

"Bye, Max."

I hang up the phone and slide it into the backpack on the floor beside me. I sit up straight and take a deep breath, before picking up my bag with my last-minute revision notes inside and heading to the kitchen to make a snack for lunch.

Just four more hours until it's all over, I think to myself as I make a sandwich before leaving for my exam.

_TBC_…


	37. Chapter 25

**Part Twenty-Five**

_**Liz **_

_**Saturday May 13**__**th**__** 2006**_

"There you go," I say with a smile as I adjust Max's silver cap on his head and straighten the tassel so that it hangs on the right-hand side. I take a step back to admire him in his graduation robes.

"Well?" he grins, holding out his arms to show the effect.

"Wow," I murmur, raking my eyes over him. "You look so… intellectual."

"Is that so?" he grins.

"Yeah," I grin and bite my lip. Who knew graduation robes could look so sexy? He looks _gorgeous_ in his and I'd bet anything no one else could make silver look this good!

"Hey, come here," he smiles, reaching for me.

I happily comply, slipping my arms around his waist as he leans down for a kiss. I close my eyes and allow myself to get lost in the feel of his soft lips caressing mine and it is then that I realise that I'm really am getting over what happened in March and I am once again looking forward to our future together.

"You did it, Max," I murmur against his lips when we finally come up for air. "In just a few hours you'll be an official college graduate."

"Hey, you did it too," he replies, pulling back a little to look down into my eyes as he reaches up and tucks a free strand of hair behind my ear. "You practically aced all your exams, Lizzie."

"I did not," I scoff and roll my eyes.

Okay, so I did pass all my finals and I will be graduating in a couple of weeks' time, but by no means did I ace those exams. My official GPA according to my final results yesterday was a 3.3, not exactly top of the class considering that I was competing against some of the best students in the country.

"In my eyes, you got the best grades possible," he murmurs softly. "I'm so proud of you, Lizzie, for getting through the last couple of months and for not giving up on college."

"Thank you," I smile gently. "And I'm proud of you, too."

We share one more kiss, before the doorbell rings, indicating the arrival of Max's parents and his sister. After they've hugged us both and commented on how grown-up Max looks in his robes, we gather our things together and head over to The Pit, UNM's basketball stadium, for the ceremony.

* * *

I can't contain my grin as the graduating students make their way down the arena steps and towards their seats, especially when I spot Max in the crowd, or at least, I think it's him – there are so many students here that it's hard to tell.

As the speeches take place, my eyes search the sea of silver caps and gowns for the back of his head, but I can't see exactly where he is. I finally spot him when, after the dean of his school has asked all the English students to stand so he can confer the degrees to them as a whole group, they line up to walk across the stage individually.

I can't help grinning happily at Max's parents and Isabel, when Max confidently makes his way across the stage and shakes hands with the dean of the English department, whilst accepting the keepsake scroll, which is handed to each student instead of their official diploma – for some strange reason, Max won't receive his real diploma for another few weeks. I have to force myself to sit calmly through the remainder of the ceremony, as the other schools and colleges within the university are called up to the stage. All I can think about is congratulating him with a hug and a kiss as soon as we can get out of here.

When the ceremony is finally over and the students all make their way back up the arena steps, I am quick to urge the Evans' to come with me to find Max outside and when I do finally spot him in the crowd, I immediately run straight into his arms.

"Congratulations!" I exclaim as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him enthusiastically. His hands come up to rest on my lower back and he chuckles against my lips. "What?" I ask, my tone affectionate as I pull back a little to look up at him.

"Nothing," he grins and shakes his head. "Just… that was a very enthusiastic greeting!"

"Well, I'm happy for you," I grin. "You're a college graduate now."

"You'd better believe it," he murmurs cockily, causing me to chuckle back and roll my eyes.

I give him another quick hug as I press my lip to his neck, before pulling back and slipping my hand into his.

"Come on, your family is waiting to congratulate you," I tell him, nodding towards the left where Philip, Diane and Isabel are standing, waiting anxiously to see him. "And don't forget the reception hosted by the President of the university in a minute."

"Yes, ma'am," he grins, and I stick my tongue out at him playfully as we approach his family.

We attend the reception being held at the arena's main concourse, before heading back to the campus and Max's department for his convocation ceremony. On the way, Max offers greetings and congratulations to several of his fellow students as they walk by with their families. I don't recognise many of them, apart from his roommate, Mark with his family, and his friend, Alex with her parents and boyfriend – Max told me a few weeks ago that she had been seeing someone new; I think his name is David… something. We stop so Max can give her his congratulations before we carry on to the English department.

The convocation ceremony is somewhat similar to the main event at The Pit, albeit a scaled down version. The dean of the school invites a gust speaker to make their speech and then the students are once again acknowledged by name. I can't help but watch with a silly grin on my face as the dean then wishes congratulations to the class of 2006 and then they all throw their caps in the air in celebration. Just think, in a few weeks, that'll be me.

Afterwards, Max's parents treat us all to a celebratory meal at a really lovely restaurant downtown, which is absolutely wonderful. The food is delicious and since Max has just graduated, the waiters bring a complimentary bottle of champagne to our table. The five of us spend the rest of the day together, laughing and joking and just generally enjoying the day. I chat with Diane about the flowers and catering for the wedding and Isabel informs me that she and Maria attended a dress fitting last weekend, and that the bridesmaid's gowns are looking wonderful.

But the thing that really sticks out in my mind about the day is that I really am enjoying life again. Whenever I look at Max, everything around me fades away and all I can think about is being with him, both emotionally and physically. That's when I realise that I'm ready to be intimate with him again. Back in March, I thought I knew what I wanted when I asked Max to make love to me, but even though I fell asleep before anything major could happen, I knew afterwards that it was mostly my grief talking. Now, though, it's different. I've finally gotten over what happened back in March and I feel ready to move forward and not dwell on it any longer.

At about eight pm, Diane and Philip drop Max and I back at his apartment. We're going to stay here tonight and drive back home tomorrow, but Max's parents have offered to load up their car with some of his things so that we don't have to try and get them into the jeep in the morning. When we've stuffed as much of Max's junk as possible in the Evans' station wagon, the Philip, Diane and Isabel, say their goodbyes and head back down to Roswell, leaving Max and I alone in an empty apartment (all three of his roommates are spending the night at hotels with their families, since they've all travelled a long way to get here).

"So," I murmur, closing the front door behind me as I advance towards my fiancé.

"So…?" he questions, with a smile.

"Well, I was thinking…" I murmur playfully, a mischievous grin sliding onto my face, as I come to a stop in front of him. "That you deserve to be congratulated properly for your success."

"Yeah?" he grins indulgently, as he raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I confirm with a nod, bringing my hands up to rest on his chest. "Let's go to your room."

"My room?" he gulps, bringing his hands up to cover mine. His expression turns serious. "Liz, are you sure about this? It'll be our first time since…"

He doesn't have to say he rest; I hear the unspoken words just fine…_since before I lost the baby_.

"Yes, I'm sure, Max," I state firmly, looking right into his eyes. "Totally and completely sure."

"Okay," he says finally, with a gentle smile. "Okay."

He lowers our hands and links his fingers with mine, leading me through the apartment to his bedroom. For some reason, I find myself feeling nervous, yet exhilarated at the same time. I guess it's because Max and I haven't been intimate in so long. Actually, now that I think about it, I almost can't believe we haven't been together in five months – it seems like forever!

When we reach Max's room, he gently guides me inside and then pushes the door closed, before turning to face me. At first, we simply stand there, a few feet apart, just staring at each other. However, after a few seconds, Max walks towards me, gently cups the back of my neck with his hand and brings his lips to mine for a kiss that is filled with both emotion and love. I sink into his soft, warm kisses, sliding my hands up over his chest to tangle in his hair as his other hand slips around my waist and pulls me closer.

There's nothing rushed or impatient about the next few minutes; we simply enjoy the feelings and sensations of being together again. Slowly, Max walks me backwards towards his bed and we sink down onto the mattress as one. Tonight is about reacquainting ourselves with one another, thoroughly and lovingly. I savour the feel of Max's warm body against mine, as items of clothing are removed and dropped to the floor one at a time.

I suck in a much-needed breath when we finally join after months of separation. As Max begins to rock his hips, we both let out a moan of pleasure and relief. It feels so good to have him inside me again, bringing me to a kind of pleasure only he can. As out movements become more frantic, he urges me to open my eyes and look up at him. I do so and suddenly a strange calm settles over us. I get lost in his eyes and it's like everything else around me disappears and there's only him and me, in our own little world as we head towards completion.

Afterwards, we curl up together in his bed, unwilling to let go of each other now that we've renewed our physical relationship again. We talk about various things; we reminisce over the events of the day; we talk about Max's impending job interview in Santa Fe next week and how I'm going to drive up with him and we'll make a day of it; and we discuss what we're going to do between now and the wedding. Eventually, Max falls asleep and I follow shortly after, wrapped up in his arms, sated and happy.

_TBC_…


	38. Interlude XII

**Interlude Twelve**

_**Liz**_

_**Present Day – Sunday February 4**__**th**__** 2007**_

Okay, I'll admit it: it only took me until the day after Christmas to make a decision about Max's suggestion of moving to London. As much as I like my current job and having my family close by, this is such a great opportunity; not just for Max, but for the both of us. After all, it's not every day that you have the chance to move to a different continent.

So, as you might have guessed, my answer was yes and now we're in the process of trying to sort everything out. Unfortunately, it's going to be a while before we can leave for London. Right after the New Year, Max told his boss that he'd like to take the job, which started off a long process of filling in work permit forms for Max, visa applications for both of us and doing all the other things we need to prepare in order to move. Since it can take several weeks to get our visas, we won't be able to leave the US for at least another month. However, Max's company has agreed to hold his position in London until the beginning of April, which will hopefully give us enough time to find somewhere to live and get settled in first.

So, for the last few days, I've been making lists of things we'll need to take with us, things we'll have to get rid of and things we need to do before we go…

"Hey, Liz, have you seen my blue shirt?" comes a shout from the bedroom.

… well, at least I've been trying to, anyway.

"It was hanging in the closet last time I saw it," I call back, before returning my attention to the pad of paper on the kitchen table in front of me.

"Liz, it's not here!" he shouts again a couple of minutes later.

I roll my eyes and put down the pen I'm holding as I stand up and make my way out of the kitchen. "It was in there yesterday, Max," I return, as I enter our bedroom. "I saw it."

I stop, holding back a giggle at the sight of Max, half-dressed and kneeling on the floor with his head stuck in the closet. He's pulling out all kinds of things from the bottom and grunting in annoyance every time he grabs something that is not his shirt. My eyes roam the items of clothing hanging neatly on the rack above his head and I quickly locate the shirt, which is tucked away in the corner. However, I stand in the doorway for a few moments, my arms folded across my chest and a smirk on my face as I watch him search. I would tell him that the shirt is right where he hung it up the other day, but I'm kinda enjoying the view… his butt looks so great in those tight jeans.

"Liz?" comes the now exasperated tone of his voice a few seconds later. Obviously, he's noticed that I've just been standing here watching him instead of helping him look it.

With a grin, I walk over to the closet and pull out the shirt. "Is this what you're looking for?"

"What?" he asks, straightening so he can look up at me. "Where did you find it?"

"This," I start, balancing the hanger on one finger, "was hanging right in here. Which is where I said it was."

"But," he frowns, confusion evident in his expression, as he climbs to his feet, "it wasn't there a minute ago."

"If you say so, Max," I grin, handing him the shirt. "Why did you want to find it so badly, anyway?"

"Because I want to wear it this afternoon," he tells me, as if it were obvious.

"Max, that's a smart shirt and we're only going for lunch," I remind him.

"I know," he shrugs, giving me a sheepish smile as he places the shirt on the bed. "But I do like to look at least halfway decent when I take you out for food."

"Okay, then," I nod, humouring him.

"Hey," he murmurs with a grin, slipping his arms around my waist. "Can I help it if you bring out the gentleman in me?"

"If you say so, Max," I chuckle. "But remember, we knew each other for many years before you grew into a gentlemen."

"Hey, I resent that," he protests. "I've always been a gentleman."

"Again, if you say so," I repeat, as I wind my arms around his neck and pull him to me for a hungry kiss, to which he complies eagerly. "Hmm," I murmur a moment later. "Have I told you lately how sexy you look in nothing but jeans?" I rise up on tiptoe to capture his earlobe between my teeth, before whispering, "It gets me so hot."

"Ahh, Lizzie, you're killing me here," he returns throatily, emphasising his point by cupping my butt with his hands and pressing my lower body against his rapidly growing arousal.

Well, all I can say is that I don't get any more list writing done and Max's precious shirt on the bed is pretty wrinkled by the time he slips it on two hours later. However, we do make it out to one of the friendly restaurants in the Plaza in time for a lovely light lunch and we do actually manage to discuss our plans for the next few weeks over coffee afterwards.

* * *

_**Tuesday April 3**__**rd**__** 2007**_

This is it; we've finally made it to London!

We arrived here a week ago, to cold and windy weather and a temperature of about 50 degrees – a far cry from the sunshine and 70-degree weather we left behind in Santa Fe – but I've been so excited to be in a new country that the temperature hasn't bothered me all that much, especially since I've spent four years living on the East coast, which has a similar climate. Max, on the other hand, is not particularly enthused by the cold temperatures and dull days. Having spent almost his entire life in New Mexico where, even if it is cold, the sun always shines, coming to live in a country where there is one hundred percent cloud cover on most days is not the most fun thing to do.

However, we've been so busy finding an apartment to live in (which is so expensive compared to Santa Fe) and discovering the sights, that after a few hours he temporarily forgot about his initial discomfort. Luckily, we managed to find a nice one-bed apartment near Clapham Common, although both Max and I were rather shocked at the rent prices. Our two-bed apartment in Santa Fe was almost twice as big as this one and we were paying $650 a month; and now… well we're suddenly very glad that Max will be earning more money in his new position, because the cheapest place we could find in a halfway decent area charges almost $2,000 per month – for just one bedroom, a tiny kitchen-slash-living room and a bathroom. But I guess the one good thing about the apartment is that it comes fully furnished, which means that Max and I don't have to worry about spending out on furniture and other things we might need.

Although Max doesn't start his new job until next Tuesday – it's Easter weekend and apparently here in the UK, they have two public holidays surrounding Easter: Good Friday and Easter Monday, so his new contract begins on April 10th – his boss is holding a welcome party tonight for all the employees of the new London branch of the company. I'm pretty excited, because it will mean the chance to meet and get to know his new colleagues – who are both fellow Americans and also Britons – and their wives and girlfriends, and hopefully we can make some new friends here.

"Hey," Max murmurs, slipping his arms around my waist from behind, interrupting my thoughts as I look out of the window of our new apartment.

"Hey," I reply with a smile, turning my head to kiss him on the lips.

"What're you thinking about?" he asks as he rests his chin on my shoulder.

I shrug, "Just taking it all in. It's so surreal, I can't believe we're really here."

"I know," he agrees. "It's kind of overwhelming, isn't it? I don't know whether to be excited that we're going to be living in England, or scared shitless about trying to adjust to it all."

"Yeah," I agree softly, as doubt begins to seep into my thoughts. We stand together in silence for a few seconds, the atmosphere almost sombre, before Max shifts slightly behind me.

"You know, we haven't christened this apartment yet," he says suggestively. "You wanna do something about that?"

An indulgent grin slides across my face as I turn to face him, running my hands up over his chest, "Sure, why not? After all, we christened our other apartment thoroughly… it just wouldn't be fair not to do the same with this one."

"I totally agree," he murmurs, his gaze dropping to my lips.

With a grin, he slides his hands under my legs and lifts me into his arms. I wrap my hands around his neck as he carries me into our new bedroom. We make love on our nice big new bed… and then in the kitchen… and again in the bathroom… and by the time we have to get ready for the welcome party, we both feel a great deal more relaxed and comfortable with our decision to move here.

_TBC_…


	39. Chapter 26

**Part Twenty-Six**

_**Max**_

_**Thursday May 18**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Hey, are you okay?" asks Liz as I pull up into a space outside the Crashdown. I paste a smile on my face as I put the car in park and turn to face her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I tell her, hoping my thoughts don't show on my face.

"Are you sure?" she questions again. "You've been really quiet all the way back from Santa Fe. Have you just been putting on a brave face about how well the interview went this afternoon? Because, you were fine this morning and now you're acting differently."

"I said, I'm fine, okay?" I snap irritably, as I hop out of the jeep and grab our bags of shopping from Santa Fe.

"Max," says Liz, as she gets out of the passenger side and looks at me with a frown. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," I shrug, avoiding her gaze, as I begin to walk towards the Crashdown. "I'm just tired from driving all the way back to Roswell."

"Huh," she scoffs, shaking her head. "I doubt that, since I offered to drive home and you flatly refused."

Ignoring her spot-on conclusion, I simply head inside for the back door of the café and let myself in. By the time I've climbed the stairs to the Parker's apartment, I feel bad about snapping at her. I really didn't mean to, but I've been thinking a lot about things the last couple of days and I've been getting irritated easily. See, now that finals are over and Liz is feeling okay again, I need to tell her about what happened with Alex in March.

I've been putting it off for so long, convincing myself that either Liz wasn't up to hearing it, or was too bogged down with schoolwork and exams that distracting her with my confession would not be a good thing, but I can't do that any longer. After all, Alex has been trying to persuade me to say something for a while now and although I don't want to hurt Liz, I can't pretend she doesn't have a right to know. My problem now is how I'm going to pluck up the courage to do it; hence the reason I've been so irritable for the last few hours – I'm shit scared of broaching the subject with her.

"Max!" comes Liz's annoyed voice, as I open the apartment door and step inside. Liz enters behind me, breathing heavily from running up to catch up. "What is the matter with you today?"

I let out a nervous breath, realising that I have to do this now. I turn towards her. "Liz…" I start, but trail off, not knowing where to start.

"Don't just 'Liz' me, okay?" she says irritably, as she reaches behind her to close the door. "Just tell me what's going on. You've been acting weird all afternoon."

"I'm sorry, okay," I tell her sincerely, making eye contact. "I just, um… I need to talk to you about something."

"O-kay…" she says slowly, expectantly. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Can we do this in your room?" I ask, holding out my hand and nodding down the corridor towards her bedroom.

"Sure," she replies softly, slipping her hand in mine. She leads me into her room and we both take a seat on the bed, our hands still entwined.

"Okay," I start slightly hesitantly. "I have to tell you something… something I probably should have told you a long time ago, but with everything going on, I just couldn't …"

She frowns, her expression becoming concerned, "Max, what is it?"

"That day in March, when you were taken to hospital…" I begin, lowering my gaze to our clasped hands. "Becca had trouble getting hold of me because I was at Alex's. Because I stayed the night there–"

Her gasp cuts me off and I look up to find her free hand covering her mouth, as the colour drains from her face.

"Liz –?" I question.

"Oh my God," she gasps, slowly shaking her head. "Please don't tell me…" tears begin to fill her eyes as she speaks and my heart sinks. "God… y-you slept with her, didn't you?"

"What?" I state, shocked, before shaking my head vehemently as I tighten my grip on her hand. "No, no, Liz… I didn't sleep with her. I could never that to you."

She closes her eyes and lets out a breath, as if to calm herself; but I can't bring myself to feel the same way. Whilst I didn't sleep with Alex, I did kiss her and I suppose that's almost as bad.

"Okay, so if you didn't sleep with her, then what happened, Max?"

"Liz," I start seriously, looking into her eyes. "I want you to know that I love you with all my heart and that I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you."

"Max," she mutters tightly, "What. Happened?"

"I kissed her, Liz," I blurt out in a rush. "While you were losing our baby, I was kissing her," I add bitterly

She forcefully extracts her hand from mine and sucks in a huge breath as the tears begin to roll down her face.

"No," she shakes her head and turns away from me. "No… This can't be happening."

"I'm sorry, Liz," I murmur, my own eyes beginning to water. "I was so confused… I loved you so much, but I also found myself attracted to her and I didn't know why. It was the stupidest thing I've ever done and I regret it with all my heart."

"So… what?" she cries. "You're telling me that all this time, you and Alex have been…?" she leaves the question hanging, but I know exactly what she's asking.

"No, Liz, that's not it at all," I assert firmly. "As soon as it had happened, I realised it was wrong. I didn't love Alex; I loved you. I don't even know what I was thinking when I did it."

She seems to think about that for a moment, because she then turns her head towards me again.

"And what about her?" she asks, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. "Did she… return your feelings?"

"No," I say softly. "She told me I was just confused and that I belonged with you. That's when I realised how stupid I'd been. Of course I belong with you, Liz," I tell her sincerely, reaching for her hand once again. "You're my whole world and I don't think I could live without you."

She gives a tiny nod, but I can still see the uncertainty in her gaze, "But what about the last couple of months? What about now? She's supposedly seeing that guy…David… but you two still see each other quite a lot. How can I be sure that nothing is going on between you now?"

"Because I swore that nothing would ever happen again," I tell her. "And it won't. It was a dumb, stupid mistake and I should never have done it."

"So… you just forgot all about it and went back to being friends?" she asks with a sniff. I nod. "Max –"

"Yes, we're friends," I cut in. "That's all."

"Max, why didn't you tell me about this before?" she asks her tone a mixture of hurt and accusation.

"I should have," I admit, looking down at my hands in my lap. "Alex told me I needed to tell you and deep down I knew I should, but I couldn't bear the thought of burdening you with it when you had so much more to worry about. I told myself that it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't ever going to happen again, so why bring it up unnecessarily?"

"You should have told me, Max," she cries. "It's called honesty."

"I know that. I should have told you right away, but you had so much to deal with, being in hospital and everything and I just couldn't. But I'm telling you now. School is finished, you're feeling better again and we're about to get married. I couldn't get married without you knowing… it wouldn't be right," I tell her softly.

She nods briefly, closing her eyes as fresh tears leak out. She pulls her hand from mine once more and stands up.

"Liz?" I question, when she walks away from my and turns to look out of the window.

"I have to, um… I need to be alone right now," she murmurs softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "Please leave, Max."

"Liz, please…" I protest, my heart breaking at how fragile and young she seems. She turns, looking back at me.

"Just give me some time to digest all this," she says. "Please?"

I can do nothing but nod and stand to leave the room. When I reach her door, I stop and turn back around, but she's still staring out of the window, waiting for me to leave. With a sad sigh, I walk away, closing the door behind me.

I struggle to keep my composure as I run down the apartment stairs and out to the jeep. As I drive back towards my parents' house, I feel the tears begin to prick my eyes and by the time I pull up in the driveway, they are rolling down my cheeks. I realise then that the last place I want to be right now is at home, so I immediately back up and drive away again as the full force of what I've done really hits me.

Oh God, please don't say I've just ruined everything between us.

TBC… 


	40. Chapter 27

**Part Twenty-Seven**

_**Liz **_

_**Friday May 19**__**th**__** 2006**_

I wake up this morning feeling pretty much the same as when I went to sleep: like crap. After I told Max to leave last night, I managed to keep my composure for exactly ten seconds before the tears really began to flow. All I could think was: how could he do this to me? How could he kiss another girl when I needed him so badly?

And worst of all, how could he not tell me about it? I so desperately want to believe that it was just a mistake and that he's really, truly sorry, but I just don't know what to believe. Just twenty-four hours ago, if someone had asked me, I would have told them that I trusted Max with my life; that he was the one person I could really rely on; but right now, I don't know what to think.

Rolling onto my back, I stare up at the ceiling as I feel the beginning of tears in my eyes. I feel… actually, I don't know what I feel. It's like my mind is numb, yet I know that I'm so disappointed in him. Everything that seemed true and real yesterday has just been pulled out from under me and to be honest, I kind of wish that I could go back in time twelve hours and stop Max from saying anything at all. At least that way, I wouldn't have to deal with these feelings and trying to figure out what I'm going to say to him the next time I see him.

That's when I realise, as I'm lying in my bed with tears leaking from my eyes and rolling down the side of my face onto the pillow, that there's something I need to do. I have to get the whole story and I don't know anymore if I can rely on Max to give me an accurate account. No, I want to hear what really happened from Alex herself. It's the only way I can determine what's really going on between them. I happen to know (courtesy of Max – insert eye-roll here) that Alex will be staying in Albuquerque until the end of the summer and so I make the decision to go and see her. Today.

I know where she lives because Max pointed out her apartment to me when we were in Albuquerque a few weeks ago, so I'll have no trouble finding it. God, just knowing that something happened between them, even if, as Max told me, it was only one time, makes me so paranoid when I think about all the times he's mentioned her in conversation. What if there's something going on between them now?

With a sigh, I wipe my eyes and climb out of bed. I walk into my bathroom and prepare to take a shower. I almost can't bear to look at myself in the mirror as I slip out of my pyjamas. I don't want to see the misery in my eyes. I shower quickly, pull on some clothes and cover up the dark circles under my eyes with make-up. Not feeling up to talking, I greet my parents in the Crashdown downstairs and ask them if I can borrow the car to head out of town for the day to do some shopping for the wedding – I really don't feel up to admitting the real reason why I'm going; or the fact that after today, there might not even be a wedding to go to.

Luckily, they don't question my motives and readily agree. Within fifteen minutes, I'm driving out of Roswell and onto the 285 North.

* * *

After a long, tiring drive, I arrive in Albuquerque by one pm and pull up outside Alex's apartment twenty minutes later. I didn't try to call in advance, as I'd much rather see her reaction to my sudden appearance at her door first hand. I put the car in park and suck in a deep breath as I get out and approach the apartment door.

When I get there, I close my eyes briefly and press the doorbell, my foot tapping nervously as I wait for an answer. Sure enough, within a few seconds the door is pulled open and I am face to face with the girl Max cheated on me with. She's casually dressed in a pair of jeans and tight blue T-shirt, but the surprise in her wide eyes is unmistakable.

"Liz?" she asks, her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Hi, Alex," I say softly, in a calm tone that betrays my real feelings. "I was hoping we could talk."

"Talk?" she questions with a frown. However, her expression soon changes to one of understanding as she takes a good look at me. "Oh," she says in realisation. "He finally told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah," is all I can say, as I glance down at the floor briefly before returning my gaze to hers.

"Geez, you look terrible," she mutters, her brow furrowed in concern. "I told him he should have said something before; but no, he decided it was for the best that he didn't tell you right away. He didn't want to cause you any more pain. Come on in, we can talk inside."

Unsure of what to think about her reaction, I follow her into the apartment, where she offers me a seat on the couch, before sitting in the armchair across from me.

"Am I right in thinking you're here for my side of the story?" she asks knowingly.

"So it's true?" I question softly. "You guys were…together?"

"No, Liz," she says firmly. "We've never been together. It was kiss; just one, and that was all."

"But he had feelings for you?" I half question, half state.

"He _thought_ he had feelings for me," she clarifies. "But, Liz, whatever he was feeling, he got over it the second he found out you were in the hospital."

"Really?" I question softly, almost not wanting to believe her.

"Liz," she shakes her head, with a soft smile. "You should have seen his face when Becca told him what had happened to you. He was in tears. He may have tried to deny it for my benefit, but I could tell he was horrified at what he'd just done."

I nod, taking that in.

"But what about you?" I ask then. "Did you kiss him back?"

She looks down at her hands, "At first, I did, although I don't really know why, but as soon as it was over, I realised that I'd made a mistake in doing so and that it shouldn't have happened. And Max felt so awful afterwards."

"So it really didn't mean anything?" I question carefully.

She shakes her head, "Liz, Max is in love with you, and there's no question about that; but he just lost his focus for a while. For weeks before Spring Break, I could see that he was distracted and troubled; I realise now that he was feeling things he knew he shouldn't, and he had no idea what to do about that. He was wrong to kiss me, just as I was wrong to kiss him back, but please don't hold it against him. He made a mistake and he regrets it with all his heart."

I nod, feeling a little calmer, albeit still not quite convinced.

"And you guys are still friends?"

"We are," confirms Alex. "But, Liz, I'll understand if you are uncomfortable with that. All you have to do is say the word and I'll stay away, okay? I don't want to come between the two of you."

"I, um…" I really don't know what I want right now.

"Look, Liz, nothing is ever going to happen between us again. You have my word and you have Max's word. Our relationship is purely platonic and that's the way it's going to stay. I value Max's friendship, but at the same time, I don't want you to feel like I'm in the way."

I nod, taking that in, as I wage an internal debate. A small part of me is still a little sceptical about the whole thing, but another part, the bigger part wants to forget all about it and go back to normal. If Max and Alex are just friends, then do I really have the right to put a stop to their friendship, just because of my own insecurities? I know that I wouldn't want Max to tell me who I'm allowed or not allowed to be friends with, so I can't very well order him not to see one of his friends anymore.

"Okay," I say eventually." Look, I… um… I need to talk things over with Max before I come to a decision about this."

"Understandable," she nods. "Like I said, it's totally up to you, Liz. I don't want to be responsible for coming between you. I'm willing to step back, if that's what you want."

"I'll think about it," I tell her. "Thank you, Alex."

She smiles, "I'm sorry, Liz; for everything and I wish you and Max all the best."

I nod. "I, um, I guess I'd better be getting back…. Max doesn't actually know where I am. Thank you for talking with me, Alex."

"Anything to help you guys sort things out," she says, as we both stand up.

"Any chance you can not tell Max I was here?" I ask, as she walks me to the door. "I'd like to talk with him about it first."

"No problem," says Alex. "It was nice to see you, Liz; despite the circumstances."

"You, too… I guess," I say with a tentative smile, as I leave.

I drive towards Roswell, feeling a little more positive about things, but still hurt and betrayed over Max's actions.

* * *

Surprisingly, when I get home, my parents don't even question my obvious lack of shopping bags. For a moment, I wonder why, but my question is answered when I open my bedroom door to find Max sitting forlornly on my bed, a photo of the two of us together in his hands. It was taken on our road trip that summer before college, in Arkansas, I seem to remember.

"Liz!" he exclaims, as I close the door behind me, alerting him to my presence. "Where have you been? I've been trying to get hold of you all day. Your parents said you went shopping."

"I didn't go shopping," I admit. "I went to see Alex."

"You did?" he says in surprise.

I nod, moving further into my room. I come to a stop a couple of feet from the foot of the bed. "I needed to hear her side of the story."

"I'm so sorry, Liz," he says desperately, scooting to the end of the bed, so he can wrap his fingers around my hand as I just stand there in front of him. "I wish I could take it all back."

"I know you do, Max," I say softly, sadly. "But knowing that doesn't just make this all better. That's gonna take time."

"Liz –" he starts, looking up at me with tears shining in his eyes. "I love you _so_ much. I never wanted to hurt you, ever… I swear."

"Max," I murmur, glancing down at his fingers wrapped around mine. "Alex explained what happened; that it was all a big mistake," I tell him softly, my heart aching as his regretful gaze bores into me. "But you're gonna have to give me some time to get my head around all this."

"Really?" he questions hopefully.

"I want to be able to forgive you, Max," I tell him. "I want to marry you and be happy with you for the rest of my life, but at the same time, you cheated on me. I don't know how easily I can forget that."

"Lizzie, I–" he starts, but I cut him off.

"Look, I really don't want to lose you, Max," I say softly, tears welling in my eyes. "You mean everything to me and I can't even imagine living my life without you in it, but you've betrayed my trust; you've made me question the strength of your love for me and your commitment to our relationship. If you want my forgiveness for that, you're going to have to earn it."

He nods and stands up, taking both of my hands in his.

"I am going to do everything in my power to show you and prove to you how much I love you, Liz Parker," he says earnestly, as the tears begin to spill down his face. "I promise. And when I'm done, there'll be no way you will ever question my feelings for you again."

Almost unwillingly, I look up into his eyes. He's gazing down at me with such an expression of remorse and also love that I have to look away again. More than anything, I'd like to be able to put all this behind us for the sake of our lives together, but right now I just can't seem to get past the part where he kissed another woman.

_TBC_…


	41. Intelrude XIII

**Interlude Thirteen**

_**Max**_

_**Present Day –Tuesday July 3rd 2007**_

Liz and I have been here in London for just over three months now and I have to say that, after a few weeks of adjusting and getting over the culture shock, we're both thoroughly enjoying living in England. Granted, there are things we miss about New Mexico, namely the hot weather, the sunshine and the food, but there is so much culture and diversity here that you can never get tired of it. My new position as a researcher in publishing is much more satisfying than the job I was doing back in Santa Fe and Liz and I are enjoying having a little more money to spend, although most of it now has to go towards our living costs because everything is a lot more expensive here than back in the states.

However, both of us have managed to make some new friends; we often hang out with a few people from work, mostly Richard, who transferred from my office in Santa Fe, and his wife, Sarah, and also a guy called Tim from Reading (a medium-sized city about an hour west of London) and his girlfriend, Jessica. Tim has been filling us clueless Americans in on British etiquette and behaviour by taking us all out to bars and clubs around the city.

I do feel a little sorry for Liz, however, because now she's in a similar boat to when we first got married. Her visa does not allow her to work here, so she has to spend her days entertaining herself whilst I'm at work. Luckily, though, our neighbours are really nice and she's made some friends in our apartment block, who all like to get together for coffee and fun excursions around London while the men have to go to work. Apparently, she now belongs to their book club (which as far as I can tell, is more of a gossip club than anything else), their newly founded wine appreciation club and the local gym.

"Hey, Max, you coming for a pint down the Rat and Parrot?" asks Tim, as I close down my desktop and get ready to leave the office for the day.

"Not today, thanks, man," I decline. "I need to get home; Liz and I have plans this evening."

"Fair enough, mate," he nods, before turning his attention to Richard on the other side of the room. "You up for it, Rich?"

"Sure," nods Richard. "Just give me five minutes."

"Bye, guys," I tell them, as I grab my suit jacket and briefcase and head for the door. "See you tomorrow."

Once outside the building, I pull off my tie and roll up my sleeves. Man, for a country that always seems to be cold and rainy, it's uncharacteristically hot today. It's only eighty-five degrees – which is nothing by New Mexico standards – but by the time I reach the tube station I'm sweating like a pig. For once, I am very appreciative of the fact that our office has air conditioning, because apparently not many buildings in England have it installed – according to Tim, it's not worth the cost for only a few days of hot weather per year – which unfortunately makes even eighty-degree weather almost unbearable here.

As I ride the hot, stuffy, crowded tube train towards Clapham Common, I pass the time going over the plans for our first anniversary, which is coming up in a few days' time. I've decided to make the most of the fact that we're in Europe and I've arranged for a surprise weekend away in Paris for the two of us. I know it's somewhere Liz has always dreamed of going, but was way too expensive and out of our budget before. However, living in the UK does certainly have its merits. For example, did you know that there is a cheap UK airline called easyJet, which offers round-trip flights to Paris for less than $100 each? Plus, it only takes an hour to get there – it's incredible!

It's going to be a surprise for Liz, so although I've revealed that I'm taking her away for the weekend, I'm not telling her exactly where we're going until we get to the airport. We'll leave right after I finish work on the Friday and our flight gets into Charles De Gaulle at about 9.30 pm. Since our anniversary isn't until Sunday, I've arranged to take the day off work on Monday and we'll fly back in the afternoon. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her she's going to Paris.

With a smile on my face, I reach our apartment block and punch in the access code. We have to be careful with security around here because London is not the safest place in the world. You'd think that London would be a fairly safe place to live compared to some of the cities in the US, but apparently, after 9/11, it was eight times safer to walk the streets of New York than the streets of London. I climb the single flight of stairs up to our apartment and let myself in. Liz is watching TV, wearing just a tank top and a pair of shorts (it's very hot in our apartment because of the distinct lack of air conditioning), so I drop my briefcase to the floor and join her on the couch.

"Hi," I greet, as I kick my shoes off and relax against the soft cushions.

She doesn't respond and I assume it's because she's absorbed in the latest episode of Neighbours – a light-hearted Australian soap that, despite its cheesiness, is actually really popular with the British public. Apparently, so Liz tells me, it's the show that launched the careers of several big stars, including Russell Crowe, Kylie Minogue, Holly Valance, Natalie Imbruglia and Jesse Spencer – however, when I lean in to give her a kiss in greeting, I realise that she's actually crying.

"Hey, what's wrong," I ask in concern, as I cup her jaw with my hand and turn her face towards me. She looks so sad and my heart sinks. "Lizzie?"

"Max, I –" she starts, her voice breaking, as the tears slide down her face.

"What is it?" I ask gently. "You can tell me."

"I, um… I think I might be pregnant again," she blurts out quickly, her face crumpling.

"Oh, Lizzie," I murmur in understanding, pulling her close as she buries her face in my chest.

"I'm scared, Max. I'm so scared," she cries, her voice muffled against me. "What if it happens again? I can't do it again."

"Hey, it'll be okay," I soothe, rubbing her back as she sobs. "I'm here for you and whatever happens, we'll get through this together."

"Okay," she murmurs with a nod. "Okay."

I press a gentle kiss to the top of her head, as she shifts to curl up against me and it is then that I realise how fast my heart is beating. My feelings are mixed right now, on the one hand, the possibility that I might really be having a child with Liz just fills me with joy, but on the other hand, I know how difficult it was for Liz to go through and deal with having a miscarriage last year and I'll do anything in my power to prevent her hurting like that again.

"Well, I guess the first thing we should do is make an appointment to see the doctor," I suggest softly. "Find out if you really are pregnant."

"I already have," she tells me with a sniff. "It was the first thing I thought of this morning when I realised that I was late. I have an appointment on Thursday morning."

"Okay," I nod. "Well, in that case, I'll take the morning off and come with you."

"Really," she asks, looking up at me in surprise. "You can do that?"

"Sure," I reply. "I'll tell them it's very important. I'm going to be with you every step of the way this time."

"Thank you," she says, before settling down against my side once more.

"Anything for you, Lizzie," I tell her honestly.

We sit together in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Liz turns her attention to the TV, whilst I mull over the news that Liz might be pregnant. If she is, I really hope that nothing bad happens this time. Although, Liz was obviously more affected by the loss of our child than I was, it still hurt me and it's not something that I'd ever want to have to go through again. Unfortunately, thoughts of Liz's miscarriage last March also bring back memories of that awful day when I kissed Alex. I have never regretted anything else more than I regret what I did to Liz and our relationship that day. As if Liz has read my mind, she suddenly speaks up.

"Max, I can't stop thinking about what happened last time," she confesses softly. "Not just the baby, but you…and Alex."

I close my eyes as her words, "Lizzie, you know how sorry I am about what I did. I regret it with all my heart, but I love you so much and I'd hate for my stupid, pathetic mistake to come between us."

"I know. I love you so much too and I've tried so hard to put it behind me, but sometimes I can't help thinking about it," she says softly.

"Liz, you're the most important thing in the world to me; you're my family and you come first," I tell her earnestly. "Before we left New Mexico, I told Alex that it was best if we didn't keep in contact anymore. I told her that it was unfair to you to remain friends with her and I should have realised that much, much earlier. I am so sorry for everything I've put you through because of her, but I promise you now that you are and will always be my priority; no matter what happens."

"Thank you, Max," she says when I finish speaking. "It's going to be hard to forget about it altogether, but I am willing to live in the now and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together."

"No, thank _you_ Lizzie," I murmur, taking her hand and lifting it to my lips. "For giving me another chance last year. I swear you won't regret it."

Instead of going out for the evening like we'd planned, Liz and I decide to stay in and enjoy each other's company at home. I don't think Liz is really in the mood to get dressed up and made up for a night out on the town and to be honest I had a pretty tiring day at work. We decide to have an early night and by ten o'clock, we're curled up in bed together, talking softly about general things, like the fact that Michael and Maria have finally decided on the date for their wedding (the second Saturday in November) and the fact that my parents have been dropping hints about coming to visit, but we have no room to put them up in our apartment; until Liz eventually drifts off to sleep.

As I watch her, peaceful in sleep, I can't help but pray that everything will be okay and that, if she is going to have a baby, it will be healthy and we won't have to go through the pain of losing another child.

_TBC_…


	42. Chapter 28

**Part Twenty-Eight**

_**Liz **_

_**Thursday June 8**__**th**__** 2006**_

Well, it's finally here: my college graduation. I almost can't believe I actually made it to this point after everything that's happened over the last year and a half. There were several times during junior and senior year, when I was tempted to just give up on it all, but now that I've gotten through it all and finally made it to graduation, I'm determined not to let anything spoil this day.

Max is here, along with my parents and although he's been doing everything he can think of to prove his love for me and we're beginning to get back to normal again, I've still feeling a little awkward around him. Deep down, I know he is truly sorry and that he didn't mean for anything to happen with Alex, but sometimes I just can't help imagining the scene and I get an unwelcome mental picture of the two of them together. However, I am beginning to forgive him and I have to admit that it has been very hard to continue resisting him, when he sends me flowers every day and writes letters to me, confessing his love and going on to list every single thing that he loves about me. Last week, he even told me that he was willing to give up everything and everyone in connection with his time at UNM in favour of concentrating solely on me and it was at that point that I realised I couldn't let him continue to give up everything else in his life just for me.

Since then, we've been working on getting things back on track and I think that this week has been a turning point for us. After all, Max has played a major part in helping me deal with everything that has happened and he, along with my friends and family, is the reason I'm here today. This week is the first time in almost a month that I've really felt positive and happy, and want I want more than anything in the world is to put the past behind us and look forward to our lives together. So, here we are, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, celebrating my graduation and beginning a new phase in our lives.

Although the actual commencement ceremony is today, my parents, Max and I have been here since Monday night, because the whole graduation process lasts for three days. On Tuesday afternoon, I attended the baccalaureate service in the Memorial Church, whilst mom, dad and Max listened to the address via speakers outside the church. After the service, our class pictures were taken and then we all went to the senior class family dinner and party in the evening.

Yesterday was Class Day, which involved a family picnic at noon, followed by the senior class day exercises, where they gave the undergraduate orations and awards. Our guest speaker this year was none other than the Seth MacFarlane, the creator of 'Family Guy'… it was pretty funny, to say the least. This time, the evening saw us attending a concert given by the Harvard Band and the Glee Club.

Now it's Thursday morning and the official commencement begins in less than two hours. Right now, I'm standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom of our hotel room, attempting to apply my make-up, although it's not going so well because I'm nervous and my hand keeps shaking. Through the open door of the bathroom, I can see Max still asleep in the bed we've been sharing for the past three nights. He's sprawled across the mattress as if he owns the whole bed. I stop what I'm doing for a moment to watch him.

It's been a tough few weeks for us and despite all Max's romantic gestures and efforts, we haven't really spent that much time alone, nor have we broached the subject of the physical side of our relationship. I have to admit that I've been a little hesitant with allowing him close to me again, not because I don't want him, because in spite of his actions, I can't help being attracted to him, but because I'm still feeling somewhat fragile over the fact that he touched another woman. Although we have been sharing a bed this week, there's still some distance between us and the whole thing has been a little strange for me.

However, looking at him now, his gorgeous face relaxed in sleep, it's so easy to forget all the crap that's happened lately and just see him as my husband to be, the love of my life. We have talked more about what happened with Alex and why he did what he did and I've made it perfectly clear that if he ever slips up again, with her or with anyone else, I'm not going to give him the benefit of the doubt again and we will be through.

He has sworn to me that he will never be so stupid as to look at another woman again and I really do believe him. The thing is, I know he's the one for me and I know he's the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. If that kiss really was just a stupid mistake and it never happens again, then I don't see the point in ruining our life-long friendship and four-year relationship because of it. I'm not really sure what my feelings about Alex are, but I believe that Max's feelings for her and vice versa are purely platonic and for now, I have decided not to insist on Max terminating his friendship with her, despite the fact that he has offered to do so for the sake of our relationship. Although I may change my mind in the future.

With a sigh, I tear my eyes away from his sleeping form and return to getting ready for the day.

* * *

We arrive at the university at eight o'clock in the morning, in time for the senior chapel in Memorial Church and after various processions into the outdoor Tercentenary Theatre, the commencement ceremony begins at nine forty-five. As President Summers gives his speech and confers our degrees, I search the huge crowd for my friends; although it's difficult to spot them, I finally manage to lay my eyes on both Becca and Jack, although all three of us are pretty spread out between the rows.

After the ceremony, it takes me several minutes to find my parents and Max amongst all the people. However, when I do, Mom and Dad can't seem to stop hugging and congratulating me on graduating with honours, which prevents Max from saying anything, although he stands to the side with a huge grin on his face. When I can finally untangle myself from them, Max smiles warmly and wraps me up in a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of my head and whispering congratulations in my ear. When he releases me, I smile back and offer him my hand. He takes it and hand in hand, with my parents following, we make our way through the people to the luncheon being held at my undergraduate house, which is also where I pick up my official diploma.

After lunch, which is absolutely delicious, I spend some more time with my family before attending the afternoon exercises and by late afternoon, I'm feeling exhausted. However, my parents have one last surprise for me: they take us out for an expensive dinner in the city!

By the time we arrive back at the hotel, it's after eleven and I'm half asleep; in fact, I spend the entire taxi journey back to Cambridge with my head resting on Max's shoulder because I don't have the energy to hold it upright. When we reach our rooms, Max and I say goodnight to my mom and dad and we arrange a time to meet in the morning so we can leave for the airport, before heading inside to bed.

The two of us get changed and washed for bed in silence. After all the activity of the last few days, I think making small talk, or any other kind of talk is just too much of an effort on either of our parts. However, when we finally climb under the covers and Max pats the space next to him, inviting me to curl up beside him, he finally breaks the silence. I'm slightly hesitant at first, but then I realise how much I need to feel his warm embrace after weeks of distance between us.

"I'm so proud of you, Lizzie. You made it: you've graduated from Harvard," he murmurs softly, as I gently rest my head on his chest.

"Thank you," I murmur back.

"Liz…?" he questions hesitantly, after a moment's silence.

"Yeah?" I ask, turning my head to look up at him.

"I just want you to know that I love you, okay?" he murmurs. "I'm always going to love you. I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for what I did, but I'm promising you now that I will never let anything come between us again."

"Max –" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I know that you've said you're okay with me still being friends with Alex, but if at any time, you change your mind, all you have to do is say the word and I'll stop seeing her completely," he tells me earnestly.

I nod. "I'll admit that there is a part of me that wants her out of your life for good," I say softly. "But at the same time, I can't deny that she's a nice girl. I'm willing to tolerate your friendship for now, but there may come a time in the future when I feel differently."

"I understand, Liz. But I can promise you now that whatever I thought I felt for her before, I don't feel anymore. In fact, I'm not sure I ever actually felt anything for her in the first place. I was missing you and our closeness, and I guess my subconscious led me to think I was attracted to her."

"You know what, Max?" I say then. "I can't imagine ever being without you, so I'm willing to concentrate on our future and not on the past from now on. We're getting married in a few weeks and we have our whole lives to prove our love to each other. As long as we're honest and work hard at our marriage, then I don't see why we can't be happy together."

"Thank you, Liz," he murmurs sincerely. "Thank you for giving me another chance. I know I don't deserve it, but thank you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you always know how much I love you."

I don't reply with words, but instead respond by pressing a kiss to his cheek and tightening my arms around him. We fall asleep in each other's arms, knowing that we've made mistakes, but at the same time vowing to stick together through whatever else we have to deal with.

_TBC…_


	43. Chapter 29

**Part Twenty-Nine**

_**Max **_

_**Monday June 13**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Liz!" I call, as I fling open the back door of the Crashdown and run inside. When I see no sign of Liz in the café, I quickly climb the stairs to her parents' apartment. "Liz, are you here?"

"In the kitchen," she calls from around the corner.

I grin and make my way into the Parkers' kitchen. Liz is sitting at the breakfast table in her nightclothes (an old T-shirt of mine and a pair of pale-blue short-shorts) sipping a glass of orange juice, a half-eaten bowl of Frosted Flakes in front of her. As I come to a stop before the table and slide into the chair next to her, I can't help but notice how gorgeous she looks this morning, with bare feet and no make-up on. With a grin, I lean close to her and take her glass from her hand, placing it down on the table. Gently cupping her neck, I capture her lips with my own in a gentle, but loving kiss.

Okay, so I know that things haven't been as comfortable as usual between us since I finally plucked up the courage to confess what happened with Alex, but today I can't help being spontaneous and showing her just how much I love her. Although I've been pretty much grovelling at Liz's feet for the last few weeks, things are still a little strained between us, and rightly so, I guess. After all, I betrayed her trust and instead of nipping things in the bud the second I thought I felt something for Alex, I just let the attraction grow until it got out of hand.

However, that awful Sunday morning when I effectively cheated on Liz – although the fact that what I was doing was cheating didn't even register at the time, I just wanted to alleviate and understand the itching feeling I got when I was around Alex – put things into perspective for me. The second that Alex's lips left mine to answer Becca's call was the moment that I realised I didn't actually feel what I thought I did for her. I won't deny that I didn't enjoy kissing her or that I didn't feel anything from the kiss, but to be honest; I think that my feelings really stemmed from not being able to see or spend time with Liz and I was lonely. I guess that I just needed _someone_ and when I began to see my friend in a new light, I latched onto that feeling of excitement that accompanies a new crush and didn't try to stop it.

If I'd been thinking clearly, I would have realised that allowing myself to feel those things for another woman was incredibly wrong and very unfair to Liz and I would have stopped it immediately. But I didn't and now I have to pay the price for that. In fact, I'm very surprised that Liz was willing to forgive me so easily and also that she has not demanded I cut all ties with Alex, because I would in a heartbeat if she asked me to. After she told me to leave that day I confessed the truth to her, I spent the whole night out in the desert, contemplating the possibility that I really could have lost her. Everything came crashing down around me as I just sat on one of the rocks, my head in my hands, and cried. I cried for the hurt I had caused Liz, I cried for the mess I'd made of everything, I cried because of the guilt I felt for betraying Liz and for not confessing my betrayal as soon as it occurred and I cried for my unborn child, who never had the chance to live in this world.

Eventually, I fell asleep, exhausted from the multitude of emotions running through me, and when I woke, it was almost midday. By the time I made it back home, told my parents I'd stayed at Michael's for the night rather than the desert and freshened up, it was almost dinnertime. My priority at that point, though, was to talk to Liz, apologise profusely for my wrongdoings and beg for her forgiveness. However, I arrived at the Crashdown to find she was not there. Her parents told me she was out shopping and would be home soon, if I wanted to wait, which I did, although I felt it was strange that she would be shopping that day.

When she finally arrived home I was both surprised and shocked to hear that she'd been to see Alex in Albuquerque, although I think I was even more shocked to discover that she was actually willing to overlook my indiscretion in favour of working on our relationship and building a life and a future together. I don't think I could ever fully express the relief and gratitude I felt when she agreed to forgive me and I have spent the last few weeks doing everything I can to show her how much I love her and how truly sorry I am for ever doubting the strength of our bond.

"Wow, what was that for?" murmurs Liz, as our lips part, bringing me back to the present.

"What?" I reply, slightly dazed by the kiss, before the reason for my happiness returns to me and I grin, holding up the sheet of paper in my hand. "Oh, um… guess what?"

"What?" she questions, with a curious smile.

"This came this morning. It's from Santa Fe," I elaborate.

"Santa Fe? You mean… the job?" she asks in surprise.

"Yep," I nod, unable to contain my smile. "I got the job."

"Oh my God, that's great!" she exclaims, jumping out of her seat and into my lap, as she throws her arms around me, her breakfast forgotten. "When do you start?"

"Not until August," I tell her. "After we get back from the honeymoon." She doesn't know it yet, but I booked the honeymoon last week. Two weeks in Barbados. It's going to be perfect – sun, sea and romance.

"Wow, this is so cool," she says, kissing my lips quickly. "We're actually growing up and starting real life!"

"Yeah, we are," I chuckle, shaking my head at her reply. "And it's going to involve a move up to Santa Fe."

She pulls back to look at me, "I didn't even think of that. Wow, we need to go apartment hunting, don't we?"

"We do," I reply, with a smile. "We should go up there in the next few days and see what we can find."

"Sure," she agrees. "Maybe we can spend a couple of days up there and get to know the town?"

"Sounds good," I reply. "And we'll have fun; although right now, I think this news calls for a celebration. Why don't you go get dressed and we'll go out for the day."

"Okay," she grins, giving me one more kiss before climbing off my lap. "Just give me ten minutes."

I chuckle to myself as my eyes follow her retreating form. Ten minutes, my ass – it'll be at least thirty minutes by the time she's showered and gotten ready to leave. I clear away Liz's breakfast things, disposing of the now very soggy and saturated Frosted Flakes and placing the empty bowl in the sink, before heading to the living room and watching some TV while I wait.

We spend the day having fun and making plans for moving to Santa Fe and starting our life together. I think that it's really now beginning to sink in that in four and a half weeks, I'm going to be a married man! I keep waiting for the apparently not-uncommon cold feet and scared feelings to set in, but so far all I've been feeling is excitement. I'm really looking forward to the wedding and to being married to the woman I love most in the world.

I take Liz out for lunch at one of our favourite restaurants and then we go to the movies to see Disney's 'Cars'… cheesy I know, but it turned out to be a really fun film nonetheless. We finish off the day with a visit to Michael's apartment to break the good news. It turns out that he, Izzy and Alex are hanging out in his apartment for the evening, so we get the chance to tell them all at the same time. When we break the news, my sister jumps up and flings her arms around both of us, whilst Alex and Michael give me the usual slap on the back and congratulations. We also use Michael's phone to call Maria in New York and tell her the news over the speakerphone. We all stay up until the early hours of the morning and, as a tribute to old times, Liz and I crash on Michael's couch together and Isabel and Alex sleep on a makeshift bed on the living room floor.

As I drift off to sleep, Liz spooned in my arms; I feel a sudden sense of belonging and also a return to what's supposed to be. It suddenly feels like the last four years, with all of us scattered across the country, were some weird kind of strange, unreal existence; but now, everything is back to the way it should be. We're (almost) all together again in Roswell and for right now, we're exactly where we belong.

_TBC_…


	44. Chapter 30

**Part Thirty**

_**Liz **_

_**Saturday July 15**__**th**__** 2006 – The Big Day**_

My eyes fly open at the sound of my alarm clock and I sit upright in bed with just one thought in my mind… I'm getting married today!

I almost can't believe that it's finally here; in just a few hours time I will no longer be Liz Parker, I will be Liz Evans and… I can't wait! The ceremony is not until two pm, but my mother, Izzy and Maria have insisted that I get up at seven in order to give us enough time to get everything ready.

With a grin, I pull back the covers and climb out of bed. As I push my hair out of my eyes and head towards the bathroom, I can't help but wonder what Max is doing right now. Is he as excited and nervous as I am? Or is he calm and collected? I bet he's calm and collected.

"Lizzie, darling, are you up yet?" my mom calls from outside my bedroom door.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm up. I'll be out in a minute," I return with a chuckle, as I shake my head. In fact, I bet Max's mom will be doing the exact same thing to him soon.

As I wash my face and brush my hair, I think back over the last few weeks. Since my graduation and Max's job offer, Max and I have finally found our balance again and in the last few days, I've been really happy. I've been able to make my peace with Max and also with Alex, to some extent, and the last week has been great. Becca, Jack, Tim and Kelly arrived on Wednesday afternoon, followed shortly by Max's old roommates, John, Pete and Mark. A couple of weeks ago, Max and I discussed bachelor and bachelorette parties and decided to hold a joint party for the both of us, with all our friends together instead of attending the typical pre-wedding festivities.

We invited everyone to stay with us in Roswell, so we could have the party a few days before the ceremony. We had a great evening; we were all together, with Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex also in attendance along with our college friends. The only person absent was Alex. I might have agreed not to force her out of Max's life, but that doesn't mean I particularly want her at my bachelorette party. After all, she's only attending the wedding because she was already invited and by the time I remembered that she was still supposed to be coming, I had so many other wedding things to worry about, that it was too much trouble to try to rearrange things.

Shaking my thoughts from my head, I suck in a breath as I look at my reflection in the mirror, a contented smile playing on my lips. I really can't wait until this afternoon.

* * *

"Okay, so are we all ready?" wonders my mom frantically, as she paces around the salon. Her hair and make-up has already been done, so whilst the professional beauticians are making Maria, Isabel and I beautiful, she is running around us, like a madwoman, trying to make sure everything is in place for the ceremony.

"Mom, calm down, okay?" I tell her calmly, although inside I'm feeling anything but calm. "Everything's fine. The flowers are sorted, the caterers are already setting up– "

"And the groom is getting dressed as we speak," interrupts Isabel, holding her cell phone up, to show us that she's made contact with her mom. "Everything is running smoothly, Mrs. Parker."

"Oh, I know, girls," my mom sighs as she sinks into one of the reclining chairs beside us. "But there is just so much to think about today… Oh, my little girl is all grown up and about to get married," she exclaims suddenly, after a brief contemplative silence.

"Mo-om," I mutter, rolling my eyes.

"I know, I know, I'm embarrassing you, Lizzie," she says. "It's just that, I'm so proud of you. First you graduate from Harvard and now you're getting married!"

"Thanks, Mom," I smile. She returns the smile for a moment, before turning serious.

"Lizzie, I know the last few months haven't been easy for you, what with the…miscarriage and… Max," she says, hesitating slightly at the end, before getting her resolve back. "But I want you to know that your father and I love you and we just want you to be happy. So, I want your word for it: is marrying Max, despite everything, going to make you happy?"

"Mom," I start softly. "I know Max isn't perfect, but it was just one mistake. One." I shake my head, "When I think about all the years we've known each other and loved each other… It's so obvious; he is the only one for me. He makes me whole and I love him with all my heart. So, yes, marrying him will make me happy."

"Then I'm happy for you, darling," she says.

"Thank you, Mom," I smile softly, before the salon attendant tilts my head up to apply my make up.

* * *

"Wow, you look so beautiful, Liz!" exclaims Maria, as I do a twirl for my bridesmaids in the bride's room at the back of the church.

"You really do, Liz," adds Isabel, with a smile. "It looks perfect on you."

"Thank you," I smile softly, as I come to a stop in front of the mirror and glance at my reflection.

Oh my God. Wow.

I can't almost believe that's really me. The dress actually looks even better than it did when I tried it on in the shop and went for fittings. Everything has just fallen into place and the picture in front of me is… well, amazing, to be honest.

The beauty salon did a wonderful job with my hair and make-up. My eyes look wide, yet smoky, my lips are accentuated perfectly by a pale pink lip-gloss and my hair falls loosely around my shoulders in big, soft curls. Some of the curls pinned back with small pink and white flowers, to match my bouquet and the whole effect just takes my breath away.

"Max is so gonna lose it, Liz," states Maria bluntly. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when you walk down the aisle in that."

"Yeah…" I murmur, unable to take my eyes away from my reflection. I never thought I could look so… beautiful.

There's a knock on the door then, and my mom pokes her head in, "Lizzie, are you girls ready? The service starts in five minutes."

I take a deep breath and turn towards my best friend and my soon-to-be sister-in-law. The three of us share a moment, before grinning excitedly at each other and then frantically moving to pick up their bouquets. After one final shared look between us, we head out of the room and meet my dad just outside, who is waiting to escort me down the aisle.

"You look so beautiful, Lizzie," he tells me, as he adjusts my veil to cover my face and then takes a step back to look at me. "My only child; all grown up and about to become someone's wife. I can't believe I'm really losing you today."

"Oh, Dad," I murmur gently, as I see the tears glistening in his eyes. "You're not losing me. I'll always be your little girl."

"I know," he says. "But I can't help feeling like this is the end of a major part of our lives. In just a few hours, you won't be my girl anymore; you'll be Max's. He'll come first for you for the rest of your lives. I wish you both the best of luck."

"Thank you, Dad," I reply, trying my hardest not to cry at his words. I know that he pleased when he found out about Max's indiscretion with Alex, but I'm happy that he's agreed to let me live my own life and fight my own battles.

"Come on, then, little Lizzie," he says, offering his arm to me as the strains of the organ starting up filter through to the back of the church. "Let's get you married."

* * *

_**Max **_

_**Saturday July 15**__**th**__** 2006 – The Big Day**_

Wow!

My jaw drops at the sight of Liz as she walks down the aisle towards me. She looks so absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous, that for a moment, I forget to breathe. Instead, I just stand there, my mouth hanging open for I don't know how long until Michael elbows me in the side and tells me not-so-nicely to get a grip. I shake my head slightly, but I still can't take my eyes away from the vision of white before me.

God, I have never wanted anyone as much as I want this beautiful creature slowly gliding towards me, her arm linked with her father's. I gulp as I realise that my body's automatic reaction to her is not exactly appropriate in a church and I desperately try to get myself under control before she reaches me in front of the alter. As she draws closer to me, I can see her face more clearly beneath the veil and a joyful grin spreads across my face when our eyes lock. Happiness swells up inside me just watching her float down the aisle. She stops a couple of feet in front of me to slip her hand from her Jeff's arm. He kisses her cheek, whispering something in her ear before giving her away and joining Nancy in the front pew. I can't stop staring at Liz as she steps up beside me, and we share a brief moment, before turning to face the vicar.

The ceremony goes off without a hitch… well, except for the tiny one where I'm so nervous that I stumble over the correct lines halfway through… but apart from that, there are no problems and the moment where the vicar says 'I now pronounce you man and wife' is the happiest moment of my life. As I lift my hand to cup her cheek and lower my lips to hers, I whisper that I love her and she smiles the most amazing smile I've ever seen. The moment our lips meet, everything else disappears and all I can think about is the feel of her mouth against mine, and her soft skin beneath my hand. It's only when Michael clears his throat that I remember where we are. As I reluctantly pull away, she murmurs 'I love you, too' and I can't stop the grin from spreading across my face as I slip my hand in hers and we begin to walk back up the aisle as husband and wife.

As we walk, I notice Liz's friends from Harvard, clapping soundly and congratulating us, whilst on the other side, my ex-roommates are cheering as if they were at a soccer match rather than a wedding. My gaze briefly locks with Alex's as Liz and I pass, and she sends me a slight congratulatory nod and a warm, friendly smile as she claps. I nod back in agreement, thankful that there are no awkward feelings and that there is no danger of anything happening between us in the future.

I glance down at Liz to see her smiling ecstatically. I don't think I've seen her this happy in a long time.

* * *

To be honest, the reception kind of flies by in a blur, with a few key moments standing out amongst the rest. I can vividly recall Michael and Maria's beautiful heart-felt speeches, the moment we cut the cake and our first dance as husband and wife, but the rest has just fades into the background for me. However, I do seem to remember that Liz and I spent a lot of time dancing together and that about halfway through the evening, Liz stopped all pretence that we were going to be civilised and formal with our dancing and instead wrapped her arms around my neck. We held each other close like that for the remainder of the evening.

In fact, I've come to the conclusion that the reason the reception doesn't particularly stand out in my mind is because it pales in comparison to our wedding night. Words can't even describe the feelings that flow through my body as Liz and I make love for the first time as a married couple. Maybe it's because of how beautiful Liz looks in her gorgeous white dress, or perhaps what it's known to symbolise, but as soon as I laid eyes on her, standing next to the bed in our hotel room, I just had to worship her from head to toe.

Without allowing her hands anywhere near my own clothes, I reverently run my fingers along the curves of her body, before gently removing her dress. My breath catches in my throat when I have removed her dress and she stands before me in white lacy underwear, thigh-high stockings and white high-heels. It is at that point that I lose my control. I lift her into my arms and gently place her on the bed before worshipping her body with my hands and my mouth. She begs me to let her remove my tux, but I don't allow her to until I've brought her to climax.

When I finally give in, she climbs above me and slowly unbuttons my shirt, taking her time to kiss whatever bare skin she can find and driving me absolutely crazy with desire in the process. When we finally came together as husband and wife, it was the most loving, passionate and also explosive sex I have ever experienced. We reach climax simultaneously and there is a brief moment, suspended in time, where we stare into each other's eyes and the entire world disappears. It's amazing.

I lose count of how many times we make love during the night, but when I wake up in the morning, with Liz, my _wife_, in my arms, I realise that I have never felt so sated, or exhausted, in my entire life.

* * *

Our honeymoon is absolutely perfect.

We spend most of our time in Barbados making love and relaxing in the sunshine, and there is nowhere else I would rather be right now. It's so great to have two whole weeks together without the hassles of family or every day life and I guess by the end of the holiday, we've really gotten to know each other again. Not that we didn't know each other before, obviously, but life has been so crazy in the last few months that having all this time alone has really allowed us to talk again.

A few days into the trip, Liz tells me that she's willing to forget about the whole Alex thing and instead concentrate on the positive things in our lives, which I really appreciate. She has made it perfectly clear that if anything ever happens again, she will kick me out and I have no intention of that happening again. Ever. In fact, I am now more determined than ever to show her what she means to me and I intend to spend the rest of our lives loving her and only her.

Our honeymoon draws to a close and we begin to mentally prepare ourselves for life back in Santa Fe. On our last night, I decide to take Liz out for a very special evening, involving a romantic candlelit dinner, salsa dancing and a passionate night of lovemaking. That night, I fall asleep with a huge, contented smile on my face and an overwhelming sense of belonging in my heart.

When it's time to go, we leave our hotel hand in hand, happy and content, and looking forward to our life together as husband and wife.

_TBC_…


	45. Interlude XIV

**Interlude Fourteen**

**Liz**

_**Saturday July 14**__**th**__** 2007 – Present Day**_

"Oh my God, I can't believe this!" I exclaim, as I take another glance at view from our hotel window, before turning to my husband, who is sitting up in bed and in the process of rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "We're in Paris, Max!"

"I know," he smiles as he climbs out of bed and grabs a pair of sweatpants. I suck in a breath at the brief sight of his naked body before he pulls the pants up over his hips. He makes his way over to me and slides his arms around my waist from behind so we can admire the Eiffel Tower together. "So, are you enjoying your anniversary so far?" he murmurs, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"I love it," I declare. "But, I still can't get my head around the fact that we're celebrating our first anniversary in Paris, of all places."

"It's amazing isn't it," he agrees. "One more thing to add to the pros of living in London… we have the rest of Europe right on our doorstep."

"Yeah," I reply with a soft smile.

As we stand together in comfortable silence, my mind begins to wander to something that's been niggling at me for the last few days: I still haven't received the results of the blood test I had done last week… you know, the one that will tell me whether I'm pregnant or not. They said that the results would be back within a week, but it's been almost nine days and still no word. I even gave the doctor's office my new cell phone number in case I wasn't home when they called, but there's been nothing yet.

"You okay?" asks Max after a moment, as he tightens his grip around my waist and nuzzles his nose against my neck.

"Yeah, I guess," I murmur. "I'm just anxious about the test results."

"Hey," he says gently. "I'm nervous too, but I'm sure there's just been a delay at the lab or something and that's why they haven't called yet."

"Yeah," I reply softly, as he turns me around in his arms.

Truth is, I really don't know if I want the results to be positive or negative. Max and I have done a lot of talking in the last few days and we've come to the conclusion that we'd both love to have a baby, but there's still a part of me, albeit not as large a part as their used to be, that is scared. The thing I fear most right now is going through the pain of another miscarriage and part of me is terrified that if I am pregnant, something will go wrong again and I won't be able to survive it a second time. However, on the other hand, I've kind of gotten used to the idea that in a few month's time, I could be a mother and I don't quite know what my reaction will be if the test is negative.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," murmurs Max gently, tilting my chin up with his fingers and placing a soft, gentle kiss to my lips.

When he pulls back, I look up into his eyes and nod my head in agreement.

"It's gonna be okay," I repeat

This time, I'm the one to initiate the kiss, as I wrap my arms around him tightly. We lose ourselves in the sweet, yet still passionate embrace, neither of us willing to let go. Unfortunately, letting go is necessary a couple of minutes later, when my cell phone begins to ring. I extract myself from my husband's arms, sending him an apprehensive look as I move to pick up the phone from where it sits on the bedside table. Is this the call we've been waiting for?

* * *

_**Max**_

I chew on my lip anxiously when Liz picks up her phone, gives me an affirmative nod and speaks into the mouthpiece. It's the doctor's office.

The call only lasts about a minute and as she listens to the words of the caller and occasionally nods or murmurs a 'yes' or an 'okay' her expression gives nothing away. By the time she hangs up and places the phone back down on the table, I can barely contain my nervousness. She turns to face me.

"Well?" I question worriedly.

She takes a deep breath and walks towards me, before coming to a stop about a foot away. She looks up into my eyes and drops the bombshell.

"I'm pregnant."

Wow. She's pregnant; we're pregnant; we're going to have a baby… Aren't we?

Liz's expression is blank and I can't tell whether she's happy about the news, or if instead she's scared stiff.

"You're pregnant?" I confirm. She nods. "Is that… good or bad?" I question hesitantly, as I take her hands in mine and rub my thumbs over her knuckles in assurance.

"Oh, God… Max, I don't know..." she sighs.

She looks so lost and fragile that I can't stand it any longer. I extract my hands from hers and engulf her in a warm, comforting hug.

"I… I guess it has to be good," she murmurs against my chest. "Because whether I'm ready for this or not, I'm having a baby. We're having a baby, Max."

"Hey," I murmur softly, as I caress her hair with my hand. "I am going to take every precaution possible to make sure nothing happens to you or to the baby this time, okay?"

"Okay," she murmurs, lifting her head. "Okay. God, this is so overwhelming."

"I know," I say gently, tracing her cheek with my hand. "I know it is. But we just have to think positive from now on. We'll do everything we can to make sure you're both strong and healthy. But you know what, Lizzie? I think you're gonna make a wonderful mom."

She smiles a teary smile, rising up on tiptoes to press a kiss to my lips. "Thank you, Max. You're right, I just need to be strong about this…oh, and by the way, I think you're gonna make a brilliant father too."

I smile, tightening my arms around her, "Well then, in that case, we're gonna be the best parents ever."

"Yeah," she replies, her expression brightening a little. "You do know that, even though I'm scared about this, I really want this baby, don't you?"

"I do," I tell her softly. She's told me many times over the years, even when we were only in Junior high, that one of her dreams was to have children someday, so I know what this means to her. In fact, it means just as much to me as it does to her. I've always imagined having a baby with Liz and now that it's actually happening, bar any major complications, I'm ecstatic. "I'm feeling scared too, but I want to have children with you so much, Lizzie and this is great news."

"Yeah, it is," she nods, and I see the resolve returning to her body. I'm glad; she deserves to be happy about this.

"And great news like this," I continue, hoping to maintain her positive feelings "Deserves a celebration, don't you think?"

"What did you have in mind?" she questions with a widening smile.

"Well," I begin, lowering my lips to her cheek. "I was thinking maybe a romantic boat ride along the Seine…" I move to her other cheek, "…followed by an even more romantic dinner at a little Parisian bistro…" before placing a trail of tiny kisses down the side of her neck, "…and then perhaps a tour of _la Tour Eiffel_ itself."

"Wow," she breathes, her eyes drifting closed as I nip at her flawless skin with my teeth. "That sounds perfect."

"But first," I interrupt slyly. "Perhaps you'd be interested in a little ravishing from your very sexy husband."

"Oh really?" she mutter, her head falling back, exposing more of her smooth skin to my hungry gaze. I can't get enough of her. "Well, when you see him, please let him know that I'm looking for him."

"Oh, ha ha," I grin against her neck, my hand travelling down to cup her backside and hoist her into my arms.

Her arms wrap around my neck and our lips meet in a passionate embrace as I carry her to the bed. We sink down against the soft pillows and I take my time in showing her exactly how much I love and desire her.

* * *

_**Liz**_

"This is the life," I sigh, stretching my legs out on the white chair in front of me and resting my head on Max's shoulder.

"It is, isn't it?" he replies, his arm draped around me.

We're currently taking in the sights of the _Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris_ and the _Musée de Louvre_ from one of the _Bateaux-Mouches _on the River Seine – I've been reading French version of the tourist guide… can you tell? – and everything is so beautiful and amazing to see, that the almost gripping fear that I felt when my cell phone rang this morning is barely a whisper at the back of my mind.

"Hey, you remember the last time we were sitting like this on a boat?" I ask Max innocently.

"How could I forget?" he states dryly. "That was the day I told you my most embarrassing secret and you refused to confess yours in return."

Of course, we're talking about the summer we got together when we were travelling around the country in Max's old jeep. A smile tugs at my lips as I recall the day we visited Memphis, Tennessee and took a steamboat tour of the Mississippi River…

Wow, can you believe that almost five years have passed since that day?

Oh my God!

I sit up suddenly as I remember something important and turn to Max in excitement.

"Liz?" he questions, looking concerned.

"Max, do you realise what today is?"

"What do you mean?" he scrunches his face up in thought. He looks so cute when he's confused.

"It's five years to the day since our first kiss!" I exclaim.

"It is?" he asks looking sceptical.

I sigh, lightly smacking his arm to show my disbelief, "Don't you remember? We were in San Francisco with Alex and Izzy; we dropped them home and then, when we got back to our room, you kissed me against the back of the door."

"Yeah, that's right. Man, that was a good kiss," he says, recognition flickering in his eyes for a moment, before he sends me a weird look. "How do you remember this stuff?"

"How do you not?" I return, with a huff of pretend exasperation.

"I'm a guy," he shrugs. "We don't remember important dates. It's like a biological thing or something."

"You do know you're talking to a girl who has a _degree_ in Biology, don't you? She knows when you're making stuff like this up" I remind him, raising one eyebrow.

"Damn, foiled again!" he exclaims, with a grin.

"Yep, too right," I state. "So you can't try to fool me with biological guy stuff anymore, Okay? 'Cos it won't work."

He chuckles, sliding his arm around me once again as we settle back against the chairs and bask in the warm sun.

"Man, it seems like such a long time ago, doesn't it?" he says a moment later. "Leaving high school, going on our trip, starting college."

"Yeah, it does," I agree softly, adding, "And think of everything that's happened since then."

"Yeah… it's been a long road."

"We got through it though, in the end," I say.

"We did," he agrees with a thoughtful nod. "I know I've made mistakes, one that I probably didn't deserve your forgiveness for, but–"

"It's in the past now, Max," I cut him off with a finger to his lips. "What's important is that we're together and happy."

He nods, adding, "And now we're a family."

"Yes we are," I reply in confirmation, lowering my hand to my belly, where our child is growing.

Max covers my hand with his own, lowering his head to capture my lips in a kiss full of passion, love and promise. And I realise, as we embrace on the famous River Seine in Paris, that my life is finally complete. I have everything I ever wanted or could have dreamed of… a life in Europe, a loving husband and a baby on the way… hopefully.

And do you know what the most important thing of all is?

I'm happy.

_TBC…_


	46. Interlude XV

**Interlude Fifteen**

_**Max**_

_**Present day – Friday October 19**__**th**__** 2007**_

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask worriedly for the third time since we left the airport thirty minutes ago.

"Yes, Max," replies Liz, in a tone that implies she's beginning to lose her patience with me. "I'm fine."

"You're not feeling nauseous or dizzy or anything?" I question, just to make sure.

"Bloody hell, Max! Just concentrate on the driving, would you?" she cries in exasperation. I wince at both her tone and her use of the British slang that she seems to have picked up so easily over the last few months.

"Hey, I can't help it if I worry about you, okay?" I respond as calmly as I can. It's been a long journey and I guess we're both tired and on edge right now.

"God, I'm pregnant, not on my deathbed," I hear her mutter under her breath as she turns to look out of the window.

With a small sigh, I turn my attention back to the road. We've just arrived into Albuquerque International from Heathrow (via Dallas) and are now on our way down to Roswell in a rented car. We're here for Michael and Maria's wedding, which is due to take place tomorrow afternoon (that is, as long as everything runs smoothly and neither the bride nor the groom gets last-minute cold feet).

Liz is now just over four-months along and she's just started to show. Although the doctor has given her the all clear so far and says that the baby is strong and healthy, I can't help worrying about her all the time. I know that Liz doesn't like it that I fuss over her so much, but the first trimester was so nerve-wracking for us, that when she successfully made it past the 12-week mark, I vowed to take the absolute best care of her that I could for the rest of her pregnancy.

The journey continues in silence, as I concentrate on the road and Liz watches the passing scenery. More than an hour passes before I break the silence to ask Liz if she needs a bathroom stop. However, when I turn my head towards her and open my mouth to speak, I realise that she's fallen asleep. Rather than wake her, I decide to forego the bathroom stop and continue on towards Roswell instead. As I drive, I can't help stealing glances in her direction. She looks so beautiful when she's relaxed in sleep, her chest rising and falling steadily, and as I watch her, a swell of emotion builds in my chest. It's hard to describe exactly what I feel, but it's kind of a swirling mixture of love and happiness and pride and passion for her.

I know that if she were awake right now, she would probably be snapping at my concern and calling me overprotective, but to be honest, I don't care. Okay, so maybe I am being a little overprotective of her, but can you blame me? I just want her to be safe and happy. After all, she is carrying our child inside her womb, which in itself is good enough reason to look after her, but add to that the fact that we lost a baby last year and you have one worried and concerned Max.

Liz is still fast asleep when I pull into my parent's driveway two and a half hours later, although I'm not surprised, since it is after midnight and we've been travelling for twenty hours now. Plus, we're both still on London time, which makes it seven am Saturday morning according to our body clocks. I cut the engine and let my gaze settle on Liz for a few seconds, the sight of her sleeping bringing an involuntary smile to my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement from inside the house and realise that my parents are probably still waiting up for us to arrive, so I slip out of the car and make my way around to the passenger side.

Careful not to disturb Liz, I open her door, unfasten her seatbelt and scoop her into my arms, as she mumbles incoherently and snuggles against my chest. I nudge the door closed with my foot and carry Liz towards the house. My mom greets me at the front door, takes one look at Liz asleep in my arms and gestures towards the stairs. I nod, carry her up to my old room and gently place her prone form on the bed. I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, before heading downstairs to grab our bags from the car and greet my mom properly. However, I'm so exhausted that less than ten minutes later, I collapse next to Liz on my old bed, both of us completely fully clothed, and I'm fast sleep within moments.

Maria and Michael's wedding the next afternoon is wonderful. Liz and Isabel are Maria's bridesmaids (I gather that the three of them made a pact back in high school, that they would be each other's bridesmaids when they got married) and Alex and I share the role of best man. Despite the long-standing on again-off again nature of Maria and Michael's relationship, they are both surprisingly confident and self-assured as they recite their vows to each other and I can't keep the smile off my face. I always knew those two were meant for each other.

After the ceremony, the girls gush over Maria's dress (which, by the way, she looks great in) and Liz's pregnancy, whilst Alex and I congratulate Michael on the big day. However, I can't stop my attention from wandering towards Liz and the way her face glows and her smile lights up her face as she talks. My heart swells with love for her and our baby. I really hope everything goes smoothly for her, for us, over the next five months.

* * *

_**Friday March 7**__**th**__** 2008**_

With a slight yawn, I fill the kettle with water and switch it on. While I wait for it to boil, I find myself looking out of the window at the trees and bushes surrounding Clapham Common.

"Morning," comes Liz's sleepy voice from behind me.

"Morning," I turn away from the window to see her shuffling awkwardly into the kitchen, one hand resting on her protruding belly, the other holding onto the doorframe. I rush to help her sit down at the kitchen table.

"Are you okay?" I question worriedly, as we share a gentle kiss and I slip into the chair beside her.

"I'm fine," she murmurs tiredly. "Just aching and tired right now. But, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Max."

"I know," I nod sympathetically, brushing her hair back off her forehead with my fingers. "I know you're sore and uncomfortable, but there's not long left to go. You can do this, I know you can."

She's due in just over a week's time and we're both pretty tense right now. So far, almost everything about the pregnancy has gone smoothly, but I guess a lot can happen in a week and we're trying not to get too worried about the possibility of something going wrong.

"Thank you," she murmurs, as she shifts to rest her head on my shoulder. I slide my arm around her and let her relax against me. "I'm just fed up of not getting any sleep and being all clumsy and getting these stupid false contractions all the time."

"Hey," I soothe, as she sucks in an unsteady breath. "It's okay. I know it's hard now, but just think, in a few days time all of this discomfort will be worth it. You and I will be parents to a beautiful little baby boy or girl."

We decided against finding out the sex of the baby in advance, because we wanted to be surprised. I know Liz wants a little girl, but to be honest, as long as the baby is healthy, I don't really care whether it's a boy or a girl.

"Yeah," she mumbles against my shoulder. "I know, but I'm just having trouble looking that far ahead when my back aches and I have to pee every twenty minutes!"

I can't help the small smile that appears on my face at her words, but at the same time, a sense of overwhelming guilt spreads through me. I'm responsible for this; I'm the one who put her in this position. It's my fault she's not sleeping and in uncomfortable pain.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie," I murmur.

"It's not your fault, Max," she says, lifting her head, to look up at me. "I'm just cranky today."

"Still…"

We sit in silence for a few moments, before Liz jerks her head up, "Max, what time is it… Don't you have to leave for work?"

"Oh, crap," I mutter as I glance at the clock. "I'm going to be late."

I extract myself from her and stand up, quickly walking over to the now-boiled kettle and setting about making Liz her morning cup of herbal tea.

"Max, don't worry about that," she scolds me from the table. "Just go and get ready."

"No," I reply, pouring her drink and carrying it over to her. "You are my priority right now." I place the mug down in front of her. "But, um… now I have to go."

I hear her chuckling after me, as I practically run into our bedroom and grab my things for work. Two minutes later, I am back in the kitchen again to say goodbye to her.

"Okay, I really have to go now. Are you sure you're gonna be okay her today?" I question anxiously.

"I'll be fine, Max," she says. "Mandy from next door is coming over to keep me company, so stop worrying so much, okay?"

"Okay," I mutter, although it's more to placate her than actual truth. "But you have my number. If anything happens, anything at all, you call me and I'll come right home."

"I will," she says with a nod. I lean forward and press my lips to hers for a quick, yet urgent kiss.

"Thank you," I tell her sincerely. "I'll be home as soon as I can after work," I promise, giving her another soft kiss, before she just about pushes me out of the kitchen.

Eventually, I leave for work, but find myself worrying about her all the way there. I'm still feeling troubled when I reach the office and take a seat behind my desk. I don't know why, but today seems different, like something big is going to happen. I'm trying to be optimistic, but somehow I can't help thinking it's going to be bad.

* * *

As I'd predicted it, the call comes at eleven forty-five; it's Mandy, our next-door neighbour.

"Max," she cries down the phone. "Max, you have to come home. It's Liz, I think she's gone into labour."

"She's…?" I question faintly, my mind going blank for a moment. This isn't supposed to be happening for another week. "Mandy, is she there with you now? Can I talk to her?"

"Um, she's in pain, Max," she hesitates, but then I hear a frantic sound in the background. "Wait, she's begging me for the phone. Here you go, Max."

"Lizzie?" I question anxiously. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Max, it hurts," her tearful voice comes across the line. "My water just broke and I think I'm having contractions."

"How far apart?" I ask, trying to stay calm, but not having much luck.

"Um, about ten minutes," she says, her breath hitching as she speaks.

"Okay, Lizzie, can you ask Mandy to get you to the hospital? Maybe call a cab or an ambulance or something?"

"Can't you come with me?" she asks tearfully.

"I would if I could, Lizzie, but you need to get there as soon as you can and we'd just be wasting time if I came home to get you. It'll be quicker if I meet you at the hospital. Look, I'm gonna leave now and I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," she whispers. "Max, I'm scared."

"I know you are, baby," I say softly. "I am too, but we're gonna get through this just fine, I'm sure of it. I love you."

"I love you, too," she replies.

I ask her to pass the phone back to Mandy and she agrees to make sure Liz gets to the hospital. Five minutes after I've hung up the phone, I've spoken to my boss and am on the way to the hospital.

* * *

**Eighteen hours later**

"Wow," I breathe, as I gaze down at the beautiful creature settled in Liz's arms.

"Wow is about right," she smiles tiredly, and I stroke her hair back from her face, which is shining with sweat from exhaustion.

It's now six am on Saturday morning and it's been a difficult few hours. The labour lasted a gruelling sixteen hours and I spent the whole time at Liz's side, cursing myself for ever getting her into this position. However, any animosity that existed between us (well, on her part, mostly) disappeared the moment the final push was over and we heard the loud cry of our newborn baby.

"Yeah," I murmur, staring down at my son in awe. My son, a perfect mix of both Liz and I… I almost can't believe this is really happening. I am a father… and it's the most perfect feeling in the world. "So, what are we going to name him?"

"Oh, Max, I don't know," she looks up at me in obvious distress. "I was so convinced it was going to be a girl that I didn't really spend much time thinking about the boy's names."

I chuckle, "Well, then, it's a good thing I did. What do you think about Andrew? "

"Nuh," she wrinkles her nose up and shakes her head in the negative. "He doesn't look like an Andrew to me. Maybe… Joshua?"

"Ergh, no, um… bad memories of a boy from kindergarten," I tell her. "What about James?"

"Hmm, maybe," she ponders. "But I'm not sure."

"Wait, what do you think of Matthew… Matt, for short?" I say then.

"Matt Evans… that's not bad; and maybe James for his middle name," she murmurs. "Matthew James Evans… How's that?"

"I like it," I say with a smile, before looking down at our son. "Welcome to the world, Matthew James Evans."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, just watching him sleep, before the nurse comes in to take him for a check up and help Liz to move out of the delivery room and onto the maternity ward. When she's settled and while we wait for the nurse to bring little Matthew back in, we discuss our plans for the next few days and weeks. It turns out that in the UK, not only do working mothers get several weeks of paid maternity leave (although since Liz isn't working, that doesn't really benefit us), but I am also entitled to two weeks paternity leave to help her out – some kind of equal rights thing, allowing the men to help take care of the baby too. I'm glad that I can get the time off, because it means Liz doesn't have to go through everything on her own at first.

After a few minutes of talking, I can see Liz yawning and trying not to fall asleep, so I tell her to go ahead and relax and that I'd make sure everything was okay with Matthew. I slip my hand in hers and gently stroke her hair as she closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.

Poor thing; I can't even imagine how exhausted she must be right now.

I'm still watching her sleep ten minutes later when the nurse returns with Matthew, who is fast asleep too. She gently hands him to me and I simply sit next to Liz's bed, with my son in my arms. I feel a swell of pride in my chest as I take in his soft features. He has Liz's nose and mouth and a shock of dark hair on his head. Liz said earlier that he has my eyes, but I just don't see it; I'm just grateful he didn't get my ears.

As I stare down at him, I feel a tear begin to roll down my cheek. I'm a husband and a father and it's the most wonderful feeling in the world.

_TBC_…


	47. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**Liz**_

_**Monday April 25th 2011 – Three Years Later**_

"Mummy, I wanna hold Lucy!" cries Matt, holding out his chubby arms to me.

"Not right now, Matty," I tell him gently, shifting his baby sister in my arms as she latches onto my breast. "Lucy's hungry and I need to feed her. You can hold her when she's done, okay?"

I bite my lip as the inevitable pout settles over his childish features and he begins to whine. I hate having to say no to him when he gives me that face.

"But Mummy, I want to!" he cries, his face scrunching up in annoyance. "Daddy lets me."

"Oh, Matty," I shake my head, smothering a chuckle as I try to explain the situation to him. "That's because Daddy doesn't have to give Lucy her milk, sweetie. You can hold her when she's finished, okay?" I tell him, reaching out to ruffle his dark locks affectionately.

He reluctantly agrees and instead moves to the other side of the room to play with his fire truck toy. I watch him with a smile on my face; he looks so much like Max and I almost can't get my head around the fact that together we made him… along with the gorgeous little girl I'm holding in my arms right now. Lucy Abigail Evans is almost ten weeks old (she was born the day after Valentine's Day) and the most beautiful baby girl either Max or I have ever laid eyes on. Max insists that she looks just like me, but I'm not so sure; I actually think she takes after Isabel more than me, but Max is convinced that that's not true because both Lucy and Matt have the same dark hair and eyes as us.

Matt occupies himself with his trucks and as Lucy suckles contentedly at my breast, I let my mind wander. A feeling of happiness and fulfilment settles over me, bringing a smile to my face as I think about my life…our life… here in England. It's been four years since we moved over here with Max's job and I can honestly say that I love it here. After Matt was born, we realised that our one-bed apartment in the middle of the city was not exactly big enough or suitable for raising a child, so when he was six months old we moved to a larger apartment further out of the city, which is much more suited for families. It means a longer commute for Max each day, but he insists he doesn't mind the extra travelling as having a decent place to live is more important than taking a few extra minutes to get into work every day.

Although we've been very happy here, that's not to say that our lives have run completely smoothly over the last three years – it was a hard struggle those first few months after we had Matt. I hadn't realised how difficult it was going to be trying to raise a baby without the help of my parents and with Max back at work. Not to mention the differing healthcare systems and practices in England compared to back home. Both my parents and the Evans' did come to visit in the first few weeks and were a big help, but there was so much to get used to and until that point I hadn't fully comprehended the extent of taking care of a newborn. However, Max was great with Matt, just like he is now with Lucy, and was a huge help to me when he wasn't at work. In fact, we really do make a good team together on the children front. Max just adores Matt and Lucy and dotes on them practically 24/7 and I just love watching him interact with them, playing cars with Matt or talking baby talk to Lucy.

Lucy finishes feeding and as I lift her up to my shoulder to burp her, I hear the sound of a key turning in the front door. I grin; Max is home from work. Matt obviously hears it too, because his head whips round and he stands up with a shout of "Daddy!" and watches the living room doorway expectantly. Sure enough, a few seconds later, my husband appears in the living room with a smile on his face.

"Daddy!" cries Matt again excitedly and begins to run toward Max, who bends down and holds his arms out to catch him.

"Hey there, sport," he chuckles, shooting me a grin as he lifts Matt into his arms for a hug. "You been a good boy for Mommy today?"

"Yep," states Matt proudly. "The best."

"Is that so?" replies Max, glancing at me. I smile and nod in return.

"He's been great today, haven't you, Matty?"

"Uh huh," he looks at me innocently. Actually, there was a tiny incident this morning involving a tantrum over yoghurt, but apart from that, he's been pretty good.

Max carries him over to the couch and takes a seat next to me, settling Matt in his lap and stroking the top of Lucy's head affectionately before kissing me softly.

"Good day?" I ask, shifting Lucy in my arms as she begins to whimper.

"Ugh," he makes a face, as Matt begins protesting and fidgeting in his lap. Max lowers him to the floor so he can play with his toys instead. "It was okay, just… full of meetings and things."

"Nice," I make a face.

"But," he continues, his smile returning. "There's something I need to talk with you about."

"Yeah?" I ask curiously, lightly bouncing Lucy in my arms as she begins to get restless.

"So, I'm taking you out for dinner tonight so we can talk without interruption."

"Dinner? Tonight?" I question with a frown. "What about Matt and Lucy? We can't go anywhere without them."

"That's where Mrs. Thomas from upstairs comes in," he grins. "She's agreed to babysit tonight so we can have some time to ourselves."

"Really?" I smile. "That's so kind of her. What time is she coming over?"

"About seven-thirty," he replies. "The table's booked for half-eight."

I smile at his use of the very British phrase. It took me a while after we moved here to realise that half-eight meant eight-thirty (as in halfway between eight and nine).

"Okay, great," I tell him with a grin, leaning up to kiss him again. "But first, we have to get these two to bed. You mind getting Matt ready while I put Lucy down?"

"Of course I don't mind," he says, as if I've just asked a stupid question. He loves spending time with Matt when he gets home from work. "Just let me get out of this suit and I'll run his bath."

"Thanks."

In my arms, Lucy's fussing begins to turn into unhappy cries and I adjust her position against me once more. I don't think she'll last much longer staying here on the couch, so I move to get up.

"You okay?" asks Max in concern, holding out a finger for Lucy to grab hold of.

"I'm fine, but this little one's gonna start screaming any second, so I'd better get her down."

"Oh, okay," he murmurs, his gaze fixed on Lucy's shock of dark hair and her delicate features. He's mesmerised by her and it brings a smile to my face.

We share a moment together, both gazing down at our precious second-born, until Matt notices that we're not paying attention to him and latches onto Max's leg, jumping up and down anxiously.

"Daddy, daddy, look at my trucks!" he shouts excitedly.

Max quickly snaps out of his daze and turns his attention to our son.

"Wow, your trucks?" he asks, a hint of wonder in his voice. "Can I see them?"

"Uh huh," nods Matt, tugging on Max's arm impatiently; Max shoots me a grin as he allows himself to be dragged across the room to Matt's toy corner.

I watch them interact for a couple of seconds, before Lucy alerts me to the fact that she's really not happy, and so I stand up and carry her towards her room. I lay her down on the changing table and as I go about changing her diaper and getting her ready for bed, I listen to the sounds of Max and our son having fun together in the other room.

It takes a while but by seven o'clock, I've finally managed to get Lucy down to sleep. On my way to our bedroom, I stop in the bathroom doorway to observe Max, now dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, trying to persuade Matt not to splash him with bath water. I shake my head and chuckle to myself as I leave them to it and go to find something to wear for dinner. As I pick out an outfit, I find myself wondering what Max wants to talk to me about. From his tone of voice earlier, it didn't sound like anything bad, but at the same time, it must be important if he wants to discuss it over dinner.

* * *

Mrs. Thomas arrives at seven-thirty sharp and by seven-forty, after giving her our cell phone numbers and also instructions for Matt and Lucy in case they wake up, we're on our way out to dinner. Max takes me to our favourite restaurant, this lovely Mexican place in Camden, which is actually surprisingly busy for a Monday night, but luckily we are seated in a quiet corner, away from the large, noisy party of twelve who are occupying the front of the restaurant.

After the waiter has shown us to our table and taken our drinks order (a pint of lager for Max and a white wine spritzer for me – which I have to assure Max is fine for me to drink even though I am breastfeeding at the moment), I look across the table at Max.

"Not that I'm not happy to be taken out for dinner, but what's all this in aid of?" I ask.

He shrugs, "Well, firstly, I thought it would be nice to have some time alone since we've been so busy lately with Matt and Luce…"

"And secondly?" I prompt, with a smile

He returns the smile, albeit with a slightly sheepish expression, "Secondly… um, something came up at work today that I want to ask you about and I thought, why not talk over a nice dinner at our favourite restaurant?"

I look at him in puzzlement, "Max, what's going on? Why do I feel like you're trying to butter me up?"

"Maybe because I am," he grins.

"Really?" I question suspiciously.

"Yeah," he replies, his gaze leaving mine as we notice the waiter returning with our drinks. "But, let's order first, okay?"

"Sure," I reply, now intrigued by his secrecy.

We quickly rattle off our orders to the waiter, not even opening the menus, since we already know exactly what we want to eat, and then relax in our seats as we wait for the food. I take a quick glance around the room and when I turn back to Max to comment on the shear number of customers this evening, I find him staring at me, his gaze intense.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look tonight?" he murmurs and I feel myself blush under his intense scrutiny; never mind that we've been married for nearly five years now, he still has the ability to make me feel self-conscious like that.

"Hmm," I pretend to think. "Not that I recall."

"Well then, Lizzie, you look absolutely breathtaking," he smiles, reaching over to take my hand in his.

I shift, slightly uncomfortable with my appearance.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he questions in concern.

"Nothing," I shrug. "I guess I just don't feel that beautiful right now. I'm still carrying extra baby weight around and I haven't worn a dress like this in months."

He runs his gaze over the strappy black dress I'm wearing and nods appreciatively.

"You look great, Lizzie. You're perfect as you are," he tells me sincerely. "And I love you so much."

"Thank you," I murmur softly. "I love you too… and by the way, you look great as well."

He really does. He decided to go smart-casual this evening, so he's wearing smart jeans and a striped shirt with the top buttons undone. He looks hot. We share a smile and make small talk until our food arrives. Eventually, Max brings up the subject of what happened at work today.

"Lizzie?" he starts, somewhat hesitantly.

"Yeah," I ask, taking a bite of fajita.

"Are you happy here? In England, I mean?"

"Yeah," I say, as if it should be obvious. "Of course I am, you know that. Max, what's this about?"

"The meetings at work today… well, basically, they're doing some reshuffling within the company and opening some new branches and the boss has given me a couple of options regarding my job."

"Options?" I wonder.

"Yeah," he says, playing with his fork. "And I want to get your thoughts on them."

"Okay, so what are the options?"

"Okay, option number one: I stay at the London offices and keep my current position in the department; option number two: I take a slightly higher position at one of the new UK branches in the south west, which would mean moving out of London; or option number three: we can go back home. They've offered me a different position at the offices back in Santa Fe."

"Wow," my eyes widen, slightly overwhelmed by the choices.

"Yeah," he says. "Hence my question before. Would you like to move back home again or are you happy here?"

I take a few moments to consider the choices before saying anything.

"Well," I start. "It has been hard being so far away from our families and everyone, especially since Maria's pregnant now and Isabel and Alex are getting married, but at the same time… I really do love it here, Max."

"I know what you mean," he nods. "I miss everyone back home too, but I feel settled here now."

"Yeah," I agree. "And if we went back, we'd be taking Matt away from everything he knows."

"That's true," agrees Max. "So, am I right in thinking that option number three is out?" I nod in response. "So then, we need to decide between the other two."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said that I thought London was the best place to raise a family," I admit.

"Yeah, me too," says Max. "It's so crowded and noisy here, not to mention expensive."

"We could get a house instead of just an apartment if we left the city," I point out. "And the schools can be much safer in other places."

"Yeah," he nods. "So, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think so," I tell him. "We're going for option number two?"

"We're going for option number two," he confirms.

We sit in silence for a moment, letting the idea sink in.

"Wow," I breathe eventually. "We're really gonna do this?"

Max nods. "Yeah," he murmurs, his tone slightly awed.

"So, when will all this happen, I mean, how long do we have to get organised?"

"Not for a few more months," he reassures me. "It's only in the planning stages right now."

"Okay, that's good… Wow," I say again after a pause.

"Yeah," Max chuckles. "It's exciting though, isn't it?"

"Yep. Very," I agree enthusiastically.

We share a happy look and a smile before returning to our rapidly cooling dinner, talking more about Max's meetings today and the job changes as we eat. Once dinner is over and we've left the restaurant, Max slips his arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder as we walk towards the tube station and head home to relieve Mrs. Thomas of babysitting duty.

* * *

"Okay, Lucy is finally asleep again," I sigh, as I shut the bedroom door behind me and turn to face Max, who is sitting on the bed waiting for me. We came home to find her screaming her lungs out in Mrs. Thomas' arms and it's taken more than half an hour to get her to calm down and back to sleep again. I make my way across the room to our bed.

"That's good," agrees Max, his lips curling up in a soft smile as his gaze lingers on my body as I walk towards him. When I reach the bed, he slides his hands around my waist and pulls me to him so that I'm standing between his legs. "Now we can get down to business."

"Max!" I admonish, my eyes widening at his blatant come-on, but at the same time, I slip my arms around his neck. "Is that all you ever think about?"

"I can't help it," he shrugs mischievously. "It's your fault for looking so gorgeous and ravishing all the time."

I avert my eyes for a moment at the compliment. Whilst I know that Max loves me unconditionally, I've been feeling self-conscious about my body ever since Lucy was born. I'm still about twenty pounds heavier than before I got pregnant again and even though Max insists that I'm still beautiful to him, I'm a little leery about being naked in front of him. Although we have been intimate a few times in the last couple of weeks, I've been making him turn out the light first – something I feel silly for doing but I can't seem to help it.

"Hey," says Max, lifting my chin up with his finger so that I my eyes meet his. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I say. "I just…"

"Oh, Lizzie," his expression quickly becomes one of understanding, "you know how much I love you, and a few extra pounds doesn't matter to me one bit. You're still every bit as sexy as you were five years ago and honestly, I don't think there'll ever be a time that I don't find you sexy."

I smile, his soft, heartfelt words causing my worry to dissipate, "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," he returns. "You've given me everything I could have ever hoped for… love, happiness, marriage and two absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous children. There is no way I could love you any less, just because you happen to be a little bit heavier right now. You've just had a baby, it's only natural that your body changes slightly because of that."

I stare down into his eyes, unable to form coherent words. There is so much love in his gaze that I feel almost overwhelmed, and all I can do to show him exactly what I'm feeling is lower my lips to his in a passionate kiss, pouring all of my emotions and feelings into it. Max moans as I slip my tongue into his mouth and his arms tighten around me, his fingers grasping at the silky material of my dress. He breaks the kiss for a moment to look up at me and I find myself lost in his loving gaze as his hands move up to the straps on my dress and he slips them down my arms. My eyes close again and I let my head fall back at the feel of Max's warm fingers lightly caressing my skin as he lowers the zipper on my dress and lets it slide down to my hips.

I stand before him on shaky legs as he walks his fingers across my stomach, which unfortunately is much flabbier than I'd like right now, and up towards my bra-covered breasts. I brace my hands on Max's shoulders as he unclasps my bra and then grins appreciatively as he cups my breasts in his hands; I guess that's one good thing about having a baby – my usually meagre chest has temporarily increased by about two cup sizes… much to Max's delight. Within moments, our eyes meet again and we draw together again. Caught up in our embrace, I step out of my dress and we fall back against the mattress, our kisses becoming more frantic.

Max divests me of the remainder of my clothes (tights and panties) and spends several long minutes worshipping every inch of my body, leaving me gasping with need. I try to pull at his shirt, to rid him of that barrier between us, but he waves my hands away, instead moving down my stomach, pressing gentle, delicate kisses to my skin until he reaches my inner thighs. I clutch at his hair as he expertly proceeds to bring me to the ultimate pleasure and, for some reason that is unknown to me, it seems more intense and more meaningful than ever.

When I've recovered from his ministrations, I return the favour, tugging at Max's clothes until he's naked before me, before I bestow on him the same intimate attention that he's been giving me. I shower his body with love and affection until he's gasping for breath and begging for release. He murmurs my name in a breathy moan, his fingers clutching at my hips as I straddle him. I lean down to kiss him deeply, before I lowering myself onto him. I sigh into his mouth as he fills me up and I shudder at the feel of him inside me; nothing in the world could compare to the experience of making love with Max Evans. We love each other ardently and passionately, savouring every moment of it, making each second count. After all, with two young children, we don't often get the chance to take our time in the lovemaking department, so we make the most of the time we do have together.

Afterwards, I collapse against Max's chest, breathing heavily, and he buries his hands in my hair, stroking tenderly. A blanket of calm settles around us as we exchange gentle kisses and whispers of love. We talk softly about our future here in England and our love for each other. Unfortunately, I then make the mistake of mentioning that both Matt and Lucy are sleeping well tonight and as if on cue, the sound of childlike whimpers and cries filter into our room. It's Matt.

I groan, burying my head in Max's chest, before leaving the warmth of his arms to go and attend to our son. I catch him watching me as I pull one of his T-shirts over my head and grab my robe. We share a tender smile, before I slip out of the room to find out what's wrong with Matt. It turns out that he's had a nightmare about a tiger being under his bed, so I give him a cuddle and assure him that there's no tiger under his bed, or anywhere else in his room, before sitting with him, stroking his hair until he falls back to sleep. I check in on Lucy, who luckily is sleeping peacefully, before returning to our bedroom.

Careful not to disturb either of the kids again, I pry open the door, slip inside our room and then gently close the door behind me. Looking over at Max, I find him fast asleep on his back, obviously exhausted from our earlier activities. The sight of him brings a smile to my lips as I slip out of my robe and climb into bed.

I cuddle up next to Max, his arm sliding around my waist, holding me close, as I relax against him.

"I love you," I whisper, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, before I give into exhaustion. I fall asleep thinking about how lucky we are to have each other and our children, and also how excited I am about our future together as a family.

**_End_**


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